ז Zayin
49 Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
50 My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
51 The arrogant mock me unmercifully,
but I do not turn from your law.
52 I remember, Lord, your ancient laws,
and I find comfort in them.
53 Indignation grips me because of the wicked,
who have forsaken your law.
54 Your decrees are the theme of my song
wherever I lodge.
55 In the night, Lord, I remember your name,
that I may keep your law.
56 This has been my practice:
I obey your precepts. NIV
Sometimes we get the impression that if we simply do what God wants, then our lives will be as smooth or successful as we want. This seventh stanza of Psalm 119 shows, however, that even the most sincere follower of God's patterns can be immersed in difficult circumstances. What evidence of the writer's troubling situation do you notice in verses 49-56?
What range of emotions are present in this section? With which of these emotions can you resonate today?
What does verse 54 mean?
Look at verse 55. Why do you think the psalmist declares that he will "remember" the Lord's name "in the night"?
If someone were to ask you to summarize the present and historical practice of your life, what would you say? With this in mind, how could you let the writer's autobiographical comment in verse 56 inspire you?