Psalm 119:49-50 "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. (50) This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."
Psalm 119:54-55 "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. (55) I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law."
Paul reminds us in Romans 8 that we are saved (delivered) by hope. Hope is the
result of faith. Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is the substance of things hoped
for; the evidence of things not seen." Hope is a very important element in
our lives. Without it, things are dark and dismal. We would be most miserable
if we did not believe that better things are on the way. Understanding that the
faithfulness of God is the basis of our faith and hope, where do we go in order
to learn more about these things? Paul reminds us in Romans 10 that faith
cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. I may seem to be rambling at
this point, but I have a thought in mind that I pray God will allow me to
express. The ground of our faith and hope is found in the Holy and inerrant,
inspired Word of God. Again Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and
it's all about the written Word of God. In each division of this Psalm, we are
given reasons for reading and studying and meditating upon the Word of God. We
find comfort in our times of struggle when we can recall those things that our
Lord has promised us in His Word. We find joy when we begin to speak into our
own hearts and minds those things which are contained in the Bible. It is
through remembering the manner in which God has dealt with His people through
the ages that we find hope for our own situations in life. There is great
power, glory, hope, and joy in the name of the Lord.
God told Joshua when He placed him as the leader of Israel, "As I was with
Moses, so shall I be with thee." This had to give Joshua great comfort and
hope as he was to lead such a great people into the promised land. I hear God
saying to me as I look at those words, "As I was... so shall I be with
thee." God doesn't change. What we see of Him in the Scripture is exactly
as he is today. Let us remember His Word. Let us find comfort in His Word. Let
us receive the music back into our lives through His Word. Let us remember His
name through His Word. Oh how sweet the name of Jesus is in our ears!
How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
in a believer's ear!
It soothes our sorrows, heals our wounds,
and drives away our fear.
It makes the wounded spirit whole
and calms the troubled breast;
'tis manna to the hungry soul,
and to the weary, rest.