Psalm 119: 81 - 88

^Overview:

^{The writer has been persecuted and is presently suffering from his enemies. He feels like he hasn't a friend in the world and is begging for God to rescue him from his distress. His hope - that which he clings to is God's Word. He longs with anxious anticipation for God to fulfill His promise and comfort him.  He gives us a great word picture of what he feels like - like a wineskin in the smoke. A wineskin in the smoke would get dry and parched and be rendered useless. David feels like he's been reduced to the uselessness of a wineskin in because of his tormentors. He is used up mentally, physically, emotionally - his strength is almost gone. He asks, "How can I continue on? When are you going to judge those who persecute and lie about me and set traps for me? They don't live according to your Word - but I do! Even though they have tried to finish me off, I haven't forsaken your Word - it's only Your Word and Your love that has given me life and your steadfast continual love has kept me going.}

^Application:

^{Have you ever felt like that? I sure have! Miserable place to be. Just as David did, we need to cry out to God for his salvation and cling to the promises of His Word that "He will never leave us, or forsake us." Jealousy, maliciousness and outright evil was true in his day, just as it is in ours. Searching for the why of it, will cast us further into the pit of depression. Those that act in that manner must answer to God for their actions. We cannot fix them or show them the error of their ways, as they are often set on their path of "destroying" us. What we must do is live above reproach, continually look to God for His strength to get through this, knowing He has not let anything come into our lives that we (with His Almighty power) can't handle. Our job is to work on us - that's the only thing we have control over. God will take care and judge those who persecute us - that's not our job. Learn the lessons God wants you to learn from these experiences and move on! Don't let someone else's sin hold you back from being the best you can be for the kingdom of God. Key to this is that you must be in God's Word. Without that nourishment, you will feel dried up and useless like David. Even when you feel alone - those are just feelings, and we can't trust our feelings. He is "an ever present help in time of trouble." Cling to Him, trust in the promises of His Word, be above reproach, and hold your head up high - you are a child of the KING!!}