MEDITATIONS FROM THE PSALMS

 

April 6, 2005

Reading: Psalm 119:49-57

 

“Remember your promise to me, for it is my only hope” Ps 119:49 (NLT)

 

Heavenly Father, I know I do not have to remind You of Your promises, for You are Faithful and True. Not once in Your Word can I find where You have broken Your promise or failed to live up to Your Word. How different is my experience with men and women—promises made with good intent are frequently broken, and yet I do not seem to learn from these experiences. Even Your people, my brothers and sisters in Christ, make sincere promises on the spur of the moment, yet fail in the keeping of them. I must not judge them too harshly for, unfortunately, I too fall into this category.

The failure of people to keep their promises makes Your faithfulness all the more comforting. It is not to remind You of Your promises that I repeat these words, but to remind me that Your Word is the only thing upon which I can rely. Should I place my hope in anyone or anything other than You and Your Word, I am destined for disappointment and frustration. When I waver in my trust of You I lose sight of Your promises, and this opens the door to Satan to play havoc with my mind, and my confidence in You dwindles.

Dear Lord, forgive me for my wavering trust in You and Your Word. Strengthen me when I am tempted to look elsewhere for comfort and encouragement. Remind me of Your Word and Your faithfulness, for “Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.”

 

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found;

In Him, my righteousness, alone, faultless to stand before the throne.

 

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.

Edward Mote

 

“Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!" Lam 3:22-24