Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten your law. 154 Defend my cause and redeem me; preserve my life according to your promise. 155 Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees. 156 Your compassion is great, O LORD; preserve my life according to your laws. 157 Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes. 158 I look on the faithless with loathing, for they do not obey your word. 159 See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love. 160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.

This section of Psalm and the last ends with a declaration of the eternal nature of the law of God. How can anything this old still fit us today, or does it? While it is true that the law of God given to Isreal no longer is binding upon us, it is equally true that that law is eternal in nature. Since God is infinitely righteous, infinitely wise and inf initely gracious, any law he gives must be based upon his nature. Therefore, even the law given to Moses is based on the nature of God. His nature is everlasting. What is best for his people under one law is equally best for people under any other covenant. The specific duties for us today are very different from those required of the Jewish people before Christ. The system of being right with God by keeping his law as opposed to being right with him by gracious forgiveness is drastically different. Yet, living to please him is still the same. We please him when we trust him enough to follow his will for our lives. This means we live morally pure because he is pure. We are honest because he is honest. We are fair, kind, compassionate, loving, tenderhearted and forgiving because these things represent his nature. The idea of pleasing God is based upon our trusting him enough that we want to be just like him. We will not question his word as our guide. We do not doubt his will is best, even when it contradicts our judgment. We do not try to make him in our image but rather allow his Spirit to conform our hearts and minds so that we become like him. With this kind of commitment we never ask “do I have to?” but rather consider it a privilege to be able to do our best in serving him.

Dear God, creator and sustainer of life, I give y ou praise and honor with my lips each day. Please empower me to give you praise and honor in my life. Help me to trust you and live for you every day and in every facet of my life by trusting your word and following your will for me. I ask for wisdom to better understand how to apply your word. I know your word is eternal and will lead me to be with you as I journey into eternity. Help me to store your word in my heart until your nature becomes my nature. In Jesus name.

May God bless each of us as we live for him in trusting submission.