Psalm 119:153-160 (KJV)
153 Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law.
154 Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.
156 Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments.
157 Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.
158 I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.
159 Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness.
160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
I will never forget hearing the McGruders' sing, "I've Just Started Living." I can even now hear them (in my memory) singing this song with great anointing:
- I've just started living
- Found me a brand new life
- It changed my direction
- Washed away all my strife
- I'm a new born believer
- It's a holy in-filling
- My load's getting lighter
- My day's getting brighter
- I just started living
What a great life living for the Lord! This stanza uses the word "quicken" three different times and it means, "to make alive; give life."
1) Life in His Word
The psalmist prayed, "Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law. Plead my cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word."
The only life I have is in Christ and His Word. When everything else fails, I can hope in His Word and be made alive by His Word. You have to be convinced of this fellow laborer, God's Word is infallible and without error! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I have life in His Word.
When I'm afflicted, I can go to the Word of God and receive life. When I feel overwhelmed by circumstances, all I have to do is see Christ above and beyond my situation! But, also, when things are going great, I still have life ONLY in His Word! God is not my "good-luck-charm" when things go bad. He's my all-in-all. I have no life outside His Word.
I need Him in the good days just as much as I need Him in the bad days. I don't want to go a single second without Him. For without Him, I have no life!
I need Him in the good days just as much as I need Him in the bad days. I don't want to go a single second without Him. For without Him, I have no life!
2) Life in His Judgments
The psalmist continued praying, "Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments." The words judgments means, "the judicial standard of God's fairness and justice." When things seemingly go wrong, I can call upon the everlasting and tender mercies of the Lord, asking for life in His fairness and justice!
Do you realize that God wants to give His children life more abundantly... and hope that doesn't make ashamed... and peace that passes all understanding... and joy unspeakable and full of glory... and the kingdom...and so much more? Jesus said it this way:
Matthew 7:7-11 (KJV)
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
I cannot and I will not believe that this passage was only for the 1st Century Church! He is my Father, and when I need LIFE in His judgments, He will give it to me!
Do you realize that God wants to give His children life more abundantly... and hope that doesn't make ashamed... and peace that passes all understanding... and joy unspeakable and full of glory... and the kingdom...and so much more? Jesus said it this way:
Matthew 7:7-11 (KJV)
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
I cannot and I will not believe that this passage was only for the 1st Century Church! He is my Father, and when I need LIFE in His judgments, He will give it to me!
3) Life in His Lovingkindness
The psalmist also prayed, "Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness." Lovingkindness means, "steadfast love; grace; mercy; faithfulness; goodness; devotion."
With God, my life is complete! Think about it this way: God loves me where He finds me, but He doesn't leave me where He finds me. He takes me on a journey of His steadfast love.
Ephesians 3:17-21 (KJV)
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
You talk about NEW LIFE! I can certainly sing with the McGruders, I'VE JUST STARTED LIVING Because it's true. Go ahead and try to measure the breadth, length, depth, or height of God's love, and you'll be on a never ending quest.
And for the grand finale, let's see what the psalmist said as this stanza comes to a close: "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."
From the very beginning of your dilemma, the Deliver is already there speaking His Word. From the very outset of your circumstance, Christ is already there speaking a true word. In other words fellow laborers, God is with us ALL THE TIME! He goes before us, walks with us, and is our "rear-guard" too! WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE!
The young lad skipped and hopped all through the park. An elderly gentlemen sitting on a bench stopped the young lad and said, "Son: I'll give you a dime if you can tell me where God is." Without missing a beat, the lad replied, "And sir, I'll give you a dollar if you can tell me where God isn't."
Now, do you remember what the word "judgments" means? If not, let me remind you: "the judicial standard of God's fairness and justice." Now, look once more with me at the final few words of verse 160, "...and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." This means that they are still enduring in the 21st Century.
Do you need some NEW LIFE? Do you need to be quickened? Then realize with me that this passage in Psalms wasn't just for the psalmist, but it still extends today to you and I. Those righteous judgments are still enduring and will keep on enduring until the end of time!
