(153) Resh. Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law.
(154) Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise!
(155) Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes.
(156) Great is your mercy, O LORD; give me life according to your rules.
(157) Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies.
(158) I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands.
(159) Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love.
(160) The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
I'm going to be spending Thanksgiving with some people who are not believers. I'm not sure that I should apply verse 158 too literally today. However, what this stanza does tell me is that I need to be zealous for evangelism. Salvation is indeed far from those who do not know the Lord (remember -- we're all wicked apart from Christ); therefore, it is up to those of us who know Him to talk about Him.
If we go around talking about what we're thankful for I may just read Psalm 111:1-10.
As I read through this glorious Psalm I am also reminded of the need to guard against spiritual pride. The temptation is to see how the wicked live and then to ask God to give me my share because I love the Word. This has two main problems as I see it:
- I don't think God works on a quid pro quo basis.
- I don't love the Word as much as I think I do
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