Champion of our Cause

“I long for your salvation. I put my hope in your word. My eyes grow weary looking for what you have promised; I ask, ‘When will you comfort me? How many days must your servant wait? When will you execute judgment…?” Psalm 119:81-84

Psalm 119 is the longest single chapter in the Bible. The author of Psalm 119 is unknown, but most scholars agree that it was written by David, Ezra, or Daniel. Each of these proposed authors suffered serious difficulties in his life. The persecution and affliction of the man (and woman) of God is a major theme of Psalm 119. I’m so thankful that God used this Psalm as an expression of the weariness of humanity. If you have never read this Psalm, it is certainly worth reading and is set up with small divisions in Scripture. These laments and pleas express the weariness of our own hearts when battling challenging and disparaging circumstances. I’ve always thought that salvation meant primarily the theology of Christianity which of course it is. But I looked up the definition this morning to better understand this passage. Another definition for salvation is the preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.

Now we can read this passage with the cries of our heart like the ones who went before us. We long for God to preserve work, relationships and marriages. We put our hope in the promises that God has given us in His word even when we don’t see anything happening. We strain our eyes and weary our souls scanning the horizon looking for deliverance from our circumstances. Our hearts cry out for comfort in our wait. Our souls sink as we accept that we do not know how many more days we must endure our situation. We almost become resentful as we measure our challenges against the circumstances of others. Our heart echoes the longing sentiments of others a few thousand years ago which brings me to the discovery of today’s observation: humanity is a chaotic mess without Jesus!

Through this Psalm the author continues to circle back around to God’s goodness, promises and faithfulness. Its almost like he is trying to remind himself at the same time he is reminding God of the promises He has given. We have been given both example and authority to long for the things of God. He is our portion and our strength, and does not tire or grow weary. He champions our cause by taking on the burden of arranging the way, the when and the how to deliver us from whatever hardship we experience. We were never meant to carry our burdens or shoulder the responsibility of the outcome of our dilemmas. There is a beautiful segment of Scripture that puts in perspective the ability and capability of God. When our hearts begin to believe that our problems are too big we must remember how big our God is and how mighty is His power.

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?” Isaiah 40:12.