Week #16 – It’s Time For God To Act

Psalm 119:121-128 – I have done what is righteous and just; do not leave me to my oppressors. Ensure your servant's well-being; let not the arrogant oppress me. My eyes fail, looking for your salvation, looking for your righteous promise. Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees. I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes. It is time for you to act, O LORD; your law is being broken. Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.

    While you strive to do the right thing, in the right way, at the right time, for the right reason, do you ever get sick and tired of the arrogant rejection of God’s decrees and precepts by those who oppress what is just and right?  Do you find yourself praying for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven – RIGHT NOW?  The Psalmist must have felt this as he demonstrated that he is truly God’s servant by living in obedience to God’s Word.  He has done what God’s just and righteous law has decreed.  As a result, he has met with opposition and oppression from those who have rejected the Lord’s authority.  “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” – 2 Timothy 3:12,13.

    Those who reject the Law that brings Freedom become tyrants and oppressors toward those who embrace it.  Apparently our author has experienced this arrogant persecution first-hand.  Having submitted his life to the Lord, he is completely dependant upon God to look out for his well-being.  As God’s servant, he is reliant upon God’s protective services.  It is God’s responsibility to watch over, to guard and affirm those who serve Him.  Only God has the wisdom, power, purity and love to deal righteously with both the just and the unjust, and he is trusting in the Lord to deliver him from his oppressors.  The servant’s biggest struggle seems to be with waiting for God’s timing to act.       

     The Psalmist pleads with God to act on behalf of His own law.  He doesn’t presume to tell God HOW to act, simply that he believes it’s TIME for God to act according to His promises.  From his perspective, it has been way too long a period of waiting.  Why is God so patient and kind toward those who abuse His statutes?  Romans 2:4 tells us that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance.  Aren’t you glad that God did not act justly toward you while you were still in rebellion against His laws?  If God should ever act justly on behalf of His own law, then the Psalmist wants to make sure that his own life is fully aligned with God’s commands and precepts, so He prays for discernment.  He certainly doesn’t want to be judged on the wrong side of God’s law!  He testifies that he hates every wrong path because he loves the Lord’s commands and precepts more than any earthly treasure of gold.

 

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:             

    Thank God for His kindness and patience that lead us to repentance.
    Pray for the Good News families of the week: Steve & Allison Worrall, Alberto & Kasandra Aneses (Aberto Jr.), Steve Babcock (Maribeth, Zach).

Saturday:       

    Praise God for His mercy and His great salvation.

Sunday:                                  

    Ask God to give you discernment to understand His statutes.
    Join in with our Sunday prayer services to pray for God’s presence and blessing.

 Monday:                                 

    Pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
    Attend “In Touch” Prayer meeting at GNCC at 10:30am or join in prayer at that time.

 Tuesday:       

    Praise God for His promises toward those who are His servants.

Wednesday:   

    Pray for those who oppress the righteous, that God’s kindness will lead them to repentance too.    

 

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), and a steadfast courage with strength to endure the arrogance, hostility, ridicule and slander of those who disregard the beauty and authority of God’s Word.