The psalmist’s journey is clear: he has been faithful to God; those around him who should know better have not been faithful; they have opposed him; the psalmist has complained bitterly to God about his situation; he has called on God to act according to the promise; God has not acted; the psalmist remains faithful; he complains again. Now the new note:
I sometimes wonder if we complain enough to God about what our life is like. That’s for you to ponder.

After all this litany of problem, of rehearing his own faithfulness, and of complaining yet further, and after remembering God’s very Name, the psalmist says this:
“This has been my lot for I have observed Your precepts” (119:56).
The psalmist, so it seems to me, finds “relaxation” and “relief” in God because he has remembered the Name of God. In other words, he has taken his mind off his own bitter problems and found joy in God’s goodness, in God’s faithfulness, and in God’s greater glory.
More from Beliefnet and our partners
Close Ad