Monday Reflection on a Sunday Sermon

Who is God to you? It's a generic question that is specifically answered within the context of Scripture alone. We might have inklings we would like to believe about God, and your beliefs that are informed by the Bible would be the ones that are correct. In our scripture yesterday, the psalmist is best able to have a proper perspective of affliction and the ability to be encouraging while he is dealing with difficult situations in life, because he has discerned from scripture who God is. And that knowledge and wisdom informs how he responds to the world as it happens to him and around him. Let's take a look again at what the writer of Psalm 119 knows about God, just from the few verses that we read yesterday (v65-80).

• V65: God deals well with His servants
• V66: God will teach you good discernment and knowledge
• V68: God is good AND it is good that God afflicts… that is the operative good the psalmist is talking about here because he knows affliction that drives people to God is ultimately good in the end.
• V72: God’s Words are worth more than treasure!
• V73: God makes us, fashions us into who we are- strengths, weaknesses, and everything in between. AND He is the source of comprehension in regards to His Word.
• V74: God isn’t done yet! You can’t wait on something that is already there. The psalmist is on the lookout for the arrival of the Savior!
• V75: God is righteous and judges righteously, and He does so as an act of His faithfulness, even at times when we feel that affliction!
• V76: God’s lovingkindness comforts in that affliction
• V77: God’s compassion is our source of life!

As we wrestle with affliction in our life (either from Satan or from the Lord), the psalmist reminds us that attitude in the moment is important. Yes, the Lord wants to hear you call to Him. He wants you to draw closer to Him too! And in those moments, to also be a blessing and an encouragement to others... Psalm 119:79 May those who fear You turn to me, even those who know Your testimonies.

Questions For You?
1) What can you do to better discern who God is; what His character is like?
2) How do you need to apply the knowledge of who God is to your life today?
3) How can our understanding of the faithfulness of the Lord encourage us as we seek to be a blessing to others in times of good AND in times of difficulty?

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