“O Lord, you are righteous, and your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. I am overwhelmed with indignation, for my enemies have disregarded your words. Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much. I am insignificant and despised, but I don’t forget your commandments. Your justice is eternal, and your instructions are perfectly true. As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live. I pray with all my heart; answer me, Lord! I will obey your decrees. I cry out to you; rescue me, that I may obey your laws. I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words. I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise. In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived by following your regulations. Lawless people are coming to attack me; they live far from your instructions. But you are near, O Lord, and all your commands are true. I have known from my earliest days that your laws will last forever. Look upon my suffering and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your instructions. Argue my case; take my side! Protect my life as you promised. The wicked are far from rescue, for they do not bother with your decrees. Lord, how great is your mercy; let me be revived by following your regulations. Many persecute and trouble me, yet I have not swerved from your laws. Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart, because they care nothing for your word. See how I love your commandments, Lord. Give back my life because of your unfailing love. The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.”
Psalms 119:137-160 NLT
The psalmist takes a stance about God’s word that is fairly unheard of, even among Christians of the day. He notes that those who revile God’s word are not merely enemies to himself or to God, but they are enemies to truth. They are traitors. They have traded the truth about God, and his creation and replaced it with lies, or ignored it all together. The psalmist doesn’t see these people as neutral problem. Instead they are a negative value on this earth. He allows for the facts surrounding their worldview to color his outlook upon them. This is removed from whatever good they might be doing in the world. To him, no matter if they might, by societal norms, be a relatively good and docile person, they are a threat. In fact, he sees their attacks as being imminent in his life. All of this is because they have set themselves against the decrees of God. This may seem extreme in a modern era, but is a prudent and pragmatic worldview. After all, people cannot be trusted beyond their worldviews. How they think is what will define how they behave. On small steps things, it may be easy to stay in relative alignment, but large things will bring out the vitriol. One need only observe politics to understand how this can be true. The world is God’s enemy because they reject his word. Even if their actions haven’t born it out yet, given time and pressure, they will also reject you.
JOSH McGARY.COM 