And I shall walk in a wide place,for I have sought your precepts. Psalm 119:45 ESV Given that this verse begins with the word and, we would do well to set it within the context of the previous verse: “I will keep your law continually, forever and ever” (v. 44). Having made that his intention, …
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I will keep your law continually,forever and ever, Psalm 119:44 ESV After the twofold petition that the psalmist made in verses 41-43 (first for salvation, then for God’s Word not to be taken from him), the psalmist now moves into a series of declarations that will last the remainder of stanza waw. He begins with …
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And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,for my hope is in your rules. Psalm 119:43 ESV Again, this verse is bound to the one before it for a proper understanding. So far in our present stanza, Waw, the psalmist has cried out for God’s steadfast love and salvation to come …
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then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,for I trust in your word. Psalm 119:42 ESV This verse builds directly upon the thought expressed in verse 41; it is a continuation of that verse. After praying for God’s steadfast love and salvation to come to him according to God’s promise, the psalmist …
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Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD,your salvation according to your promise; Psalm 119:41 ESV With this verse, we enter into the sixth stanza of the Psalm 119 in which each verse begins with the Hebrew letter Waw. The overall structure of the stanza sees the psalmist petitioning the LORD in verses 41-43 …
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Behold, I long for your precepts;in your righteousness give me life! Psalm 119:40 ESV To conclude the He stanza, the psalmist cries out to the LORD, behold, I long for your precepts. This is no new idea to Psalm 119. In verse 20, he declared, “My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at …
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Turn away the reproach that I dread,for your rules are good. Psalm 119:39 ESV After praying to behold the confirmation of God’s promise with the Scriptures, the psalmist now prays for the LORD to turn away the reproach that I dread. The most natural question to ask is: What kind of reproach does he dread? …
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Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,but the LORD weighs the heart. Proverbs 21:2 ESV As this verse states, self-justification comes all too easy. For example, I immediately condemn the driver who cuts me off, but whenever I cut someone off, then it is justified as being either an accident or …
It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,but every fool will be quarreling. Proverbs 20:3 ESV Although all of Proverbs applies to all ages of humanity, this verse feels particularly relevant today. With advent of the Internet and especially social media, it sometimes seems as though life has become one massive …
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? …for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. …
B. C. Newton 