Psalm 119: Ayin

I had to read this stanza a handful of times to get today’s message.  Sometimes it comes easily, sometimes it doesn’t.  I realized I had to allow the words penetrate me deeper than my own understanding.  Here is what I got…

In verses 121-122, it seems like the psalmist is saying, “I’m a good person, don’t let me be persecuted.”  How often is this our cry?  Now, there are times in the psalms where we see that the author admits wrongdoing and asks for mercy.  However, this time it seems like he is saying that he doesn’t deserve to be oppressed because he is “righteous.”  I recall some of my own teachings stemming from the “filthy rags” verse in Isaiah 64:6

And we all have become like the unclean, and all our deeds of justice like a menstrual cloth, And we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities take us away like the wind.

Yet, we must be careful with this juxtaposition!  I am called to remember that our good works on earth in honor of God and for His glory are worth something and being a good person is important.  As John Piper articulates here, we can’t be 100% pure and holy for God, but for His salvation, but we can be upright and righteous.  This is why the psalmist cries out for salvation in verse 123.

What is important is that we recognize that while our deeds do indeed matter in the realm of the Kingdom of God, it is only by God’s mercy we are saved.  The rest of the psalm reveals the author doubling down on his commitment to God.

When our spiritual enemy comes against us and we are oppressed, we have a choice to make…and I think this is the big message for us in this psalm today.  We can become embittered against God.  The all too common, “why would God allow bad things happen to good people?” question pops up.  We think that we don’t deserve something because of our own righteousness.  Yet the psalmist, instead, decides to press in to the Lord even more and vows to honor God all the more despite what is coming against Him!  This is what it means to trust in the Lord.  To act justly even though we are oppressed and persecuted.  Jesus highlighted that as the conclusion to the beatitudes in Matthew 5:

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

Whether we deserve it or not is not the question; the real question in God’s realm is: what are you going to do about it? It’s not easy to accept, but difficulty is common in the Christian life. The truth is, it’s going to happen regardless of how good we are!  However, as followers of Christ, we have Someone who is with us to navigate it, comfort us, and give us wisdom.  So, despite what is coming against him, the psalmist gives us the example of trusting in God and continuing the path of righteousness.  His heart is focused on God and His ways, and he refuses to stop just because adversity is coming his way.  This is no different than the martyrs we hear about who are challenged to denounce Jesus as the Christ in order to save their own lives.  

Let us then live with the same resolve!