SUNDAY PSALMS PART 36 OF 48: PSALM 119:153-160

Child Evangelism Fellowship Headquarters, Warrenton, MO

153   Consider my affliction and deliver me,
        For I do not forget Your law.
154   Plead my cause and redeem me;
        Revive me according to Your word.
155   Salvation is far from the wicked,
        For they do not seek Your statutes.
156   Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD;
        Revive me according to Your judgments.
157   Many are my persecutors and my enemies,
        Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies.
158   I see the treacherous, and am disgusted,
        Because they do not keep Your word.
159   Consider how I love Your precepts;
        Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.
160   The entirety of Your word is truth,
        And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
                Psalm 119:153-160, New King James Version

As you'd expect me to say, I absolutely love this section. Allow me to give two reasons.

1. The emphasis on revival. Yes, you probably noticed several appeals in this Psalm to "Revive me according to Your Word or something similar. Verses 33-40 have two. This section has three. Verse 154 asks God to revive us according to His Word; verse 156 asks for revival according to God's judgments (or justice), and verse 159 asks for Him to revive us according to His lovingkindness. We all need to be revived in all three.
2. I also love the concluding verse. What do you think it means to say "The entirety of Your word is truth?" I think it means that the entirety of God's Word is truth. That means Genesis to Revelation. It goes on to add that His righteous judgments endures forever. Now, how long is forever?  Yet I hear people who think our culture knows more than God. :'( I have one friend who believes in the four Gospels, period. Should I take his word or God's Word that all Scripture is truth and endures forever?
   

 

 

SUNDAY HYMNS, PART 3 OF 22: GIVE ME THE BIBLE

Photo by Jeff Reynolds

 

Give me the Bible, star of gladness gleaming,

To cheer the wand'rer lone and tempest-tossed;

No storm can hide that radiance peaceful beaming,

Since Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

 

Give me the Bible when my heart is broken, 

When sin and grief have filled my soul with fear;

Give me the precious words by Jesus spoken,

Hold up faith's lamp to show my Savior near.

 

Give me the Bible, all my steps enlighten, 

Teach me the danger of these realms below;

That lamp of safety o'er the gloom shall brighten,

That light alone the path of peace can show.

 

Give me the Bible, lamp of life immortal,

Hold up that splendor by the open grave;

Show me the light from heaven's shining portal,

Show me the glory gilding Jordan's wave.

Give me the Bible, hearing You each morning;

Cause me to bow before Your throne each day;

Open the truth of Scripture to my learning;

Revive my heart to trust You and obey.

Give me the Bible, living out the Gospel:

Your will is that I witness as my part,

Passing the hope to ev'ry tribe and languange,

Your Word a treasure, capturing my heart.

Give me the Bible, Holy message shining; 

Thy light shall guide me in the narrow way;

Precept and promise, law and love combining,

Till night shall vanish in eternal day.

NOTES ON THIS HYMN

• The final stanza is the chorus. It's written with an 11,10,11,10 meter.
  
• Most of this hymn's words were written by Priscilla Owens. She also wrote the words to "We Have Heard The Joyful Sound (aka Jesus Saves)" and "We Have An Anchor." However, I've only seen this hymn in Church of Christ hymnals. 😕
• I said most of the words. The fifth and sixth stanzas were written by Becky.