Week #7 – The Comfort of God’s Promises

Psalm 119:49-56 – Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. The arrogant mock me without restraint, but I do not turn from your law. I remember your ancient laws, O LORD, and I find comfort in them. Indignation grips me because of the wicked, who have forsaken your law. Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge. In the night I remember your name, O LORD, and I will keep your law. This has been my practice: I obey your precepts.

 

    Another reason the Psalmist loves the Word of God is because it contains so many wonderful PROMISES from God.  These PROMISES give him hope, comfort, life, inspiration for singing, cause for remembering the name of the Lord, and motivation for practical application of God’s laws and precepts.  Remember that the written Word of God for this writer would have been the Pentateuch – the five books of Moses.  We generally think of these books as the Books of the Law, but we can find numerous PROMISES that God made to His people in these five books as well.  PROMISES of: acceptance for doing what is right; no more floods that destroy the whole earth; healing from diseases; making us His treasured possession – a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; defense from enemies; blessing on food and water; wellness in child-bearing; a full life span; rain, fruitful fields and harvests; increase in numbers; being our God and we will be His people; remembering His covenant; no poverty among His people; no need to borrow from other nations; no nations ruling over His people; opening the windows of heaven to bless; God’s delight in His people; making His people the head not the tail of societies, etc.

    Our writer says that this word of God has given him hope.  Even in suffering, God’s PROMISE preserves his life – gives him purpose and meaning to go on living.  When others mock him incessantly for his faith, he holds onto God’s Word as his guide for life.  He finds comfort in the eternal laws God has written into this universe and he’s moved to indignation toward those who forsake them.  As the songbird always has the same song no matter where he nests, so the Psalmist never changes his tune even though he may lodge in a new setting – “I love God’s Word and live by His Decrees.” 

    God’s name is synonymous with His nature, which is synonymous with His law, which is synonymous with His PROMISES.  When the Psalmist lies awake on his bed at night he calls to remembrance the name of the LORD, and declares his intent and purpose to keep God’s law.  In fact, he notes that the practice of his life is to obey God’s precepts.  When the general practice of one’s life is obedience and conformity to God’s Word, he has every reason to pray and believe that God will remember to keep His PROMISES to his servant.

 

Thursday:                   

• Meet together with at least 1 or 2 other believers to enter the Throne Room of Grace.
• Join our 6:00pm Thursday night prayer team.         

Friday:             

• Give thanks for the gift of God’s great and many promises. 
• Pray for the Good News families of the week: Juan & Jennifer Davila (Ariana, Angelina, Gabriella), Jim & Carol DeYaeger (Stephanie), Timothy & Kathy Dick (Thomas, Ava, Maybelle).

Saturday:       

• Ask God to help you personalize His promises in accordance to His Word.

Sunday:                      

• Pray for such an assurance of God’s promises that you will find hope, comfort, life, inspiration, and motivation for applying God’s laws and precepts in your life’s habits and practices. 
• Join in with our Sunday prayer services to pray for God’s presence and blessing.

 Monday:                                 

• Pray that your life will be an anthem of praise to God that celebrates His great and precious promises and keeps His Word.
• Attend “In Touch” Prayer meeting at GNCC at 10:30am or join in prayer at that time.

 Tuesday:       

• Ask God to help you remember the goodness and wonder of His name, His nature, His law, and His promises.

Wednesday:   

• Pray for such union with God’s heart and purposes that your theme song will be the same as His.   

 

Prayer Challenge: Pray that God will grant every believer: a passionate devotion to His Word, a humble recognition that we have much room for growth and improvement, His corrective discipline – that may be painful but produces good fruit, a steadfast courage and strength to endure the arrogance, hostility, ridicule and slander of those who disregard the beauty and authority of God’s Word.