Scripture
123 My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.
125 I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!
129 Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.
131 I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.
136 My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.
139 My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget your words.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.
144 Your testimonies are righteous forever;
145 With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord! I will keep your statutes.
146 I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies.
148 My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.
149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O Lord, according to your justice give me life.
152 Long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever.
Observation
I wanted to select fewer verse this am, but I guess to have so many is fitting being this is the longest of psalms.
What jumps out to me this morning are all the “my” and “your” references.
And, more specifically, contrast the significance of what the “my” is doing!
My eyes are longing …
My mouth is panting …
My eyes are streaming …
My zeal is consuming …
My heart is crying …
And what all these actions of the author are a plea for?
Your righteous promise …
Your testimonies …
Your commandments …
Your statutes …
Your steadfast love …
Application
The actions of this psalm’s authors make me question whether I share the same actions?
What do I long for? … What do I pant for? … What do I cry out for? … What consumes me? … What does my heart cry for?
Do I, like the psalmist, “awake” … “meditating on your promises”?
Or do I awake meditating on my anxieties and “to do’s”?
Do I, like the psalmist, “shed tears” because “people don’t keep your law”?
Or do I shed tears because people don’t do what I want them to?
Does “zeal for your word”, like the psalmist, “consume” me?
Or does zeal for my word consume me?
So much of me contrasts with the psalmist.
Fortunately, this is what I can share with the psalmist …
Because of “your steadfast love” … God “hears my voice”!
And because of “His justice” … God “give me life”!
Prayer
Thank you, God, for your word!
Give me the zeal and passion for it of the psalmist
Give thirst for it and understanding of it
In Jesus name
Amen