#DailyDevotion Are You Worn Out Waiting On The LORD’s Promise?

Psalm 119 ⁸¹I am worn out as I long for You to save me —I trust Your promise (dabar). ⁸²My eyes have become strained as I look for Your promise (imrah) and ask, “When will You comfort me?” ⁸³Although I’ve become like a wineskin in smoke, I haven’t forgotten Your laws (choq). ⁸⁴What is left of Your servant’s life? When will You punish (mishpat) those who pursue me? ⁸⁵Proud men have dug pits for me – not according to Your instructions (torah). ⁸⁶All Your commandments (mitsvah) are true, but those men persecute me with lies — help me! ⁸⁷They almost wiped me off the earth, but I didn’t forsake the way you want me to live (piqqud). ⁸⁸According to Your love give me a new life, and I will keep the truths (edah)You spoke.

So not even the most righteous among us live in peace it seems. In fact, the closer you draw yourself to the LORD and hold on to His promises, His words, His commandments, the greater the resistance from the world and those who follow the way of the world becomes. Such is the case for the psalmist today. He is worn out. He is longing for the LORD to save him. He is patiently waiting on the word, the promises of God. Yes, the situation appears desperate as he strains his eyes looking for the spoken promises of the LORD to come to pass. He becomes impatient looking for comfort from his God. He feels pretty dried up but he remembers the LORD’s commands.



Have you felt this way? No matter how good you are, everything and everyone seems to oppose you. The more faithful you are the more difficult life seems to get. Jesus prayed this psalm as well from His heart. He knows what you are going through. Who has obeyed and trusted the LORD like Him, yet see the opposition He endured.

The psalmist then turns his eyes towards those who cause him this trouble. It is similar to the previous section of this psalm. It is interesting that in verse 84 misphat is not used as a noun but as a verb. He wonders when God is going to execute judgment on those who pursue him without cause. His opposition is creating traps for him against the instructions of the LORD. You can see Jesus praying this as the Pharisees, the Scribes and Sadducees send one group after another to catch Him in something they can charge Him with. It doesn’t say anywhere in the Torah we are to seek out the evil that men do. There are instructions on what to do when there are evil doers and how to try them in court. This isn’t that. God’s word is true but these men, particularly against Jesus seek false witnesses to condemn Him. We should not expect less who are His disciples. Jesus cried out on the cross for help. The Father answered Him on the third day when He raised Him up to eternal life. For many of us, our answer also is in the resurrection.

We should never forsake the way of the LORD and all His instructions to us. We should remember Joseph who was persecuted by Potipher’s wife yet he remained faithful. Remember Daniel and his three friends who were faithful even when facing certain death. Remain faithful to the ways of Christ and you will receive your reward in the end.

The psalmist appeals to the LORD’s faithful love (chesed) to be able to give him life. We appeal to the LORD Jesus Christ’s and the Father’s agape love to give us eternal life as an ever present possession through faith in Christ. This eternal life given to us is the Spirit of our God. If we have this life then we will indeed begin to keep, guard, observe and do the words our LORD Jesus Christ speaks to us. We will become merciful, forgiving, kind and loving, even to those who hate us and oppose us. This is what Jesus Christ has done. This is the way He has placed us on when we put our faith in Him. We’ll leave the judgment up to the Father who will give it to Christ on judgment day.

Heavenly Father, continually give us Your Holy Spirit and eternal life that we may keep, observe and do all that You have instructed us through Your Son Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.