Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him.” (Mt. 14:31) The Lord is always “standing ready” to help those who call on him.

“O Lord, I have longed for your salvation, and your law is my delight.” (174)

This is the seventh verse in the psalm that mentions the psalmists “delight” in the law of God. The “longing for salvation” is also a phrase that is often repeated. Things that are firmly believed and held deeply in the heart are stated over and over in the life of the godly person.

“Let me live so I can praise you, and may your laws sustain me.” (175)

Where there is life there is praise and the opposite is also true; where there is death there is silence. This applies to individuals and to churches as well. God’s Spirit creates life that a rich diet of his word sustains resulting in greater praise.

“I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your com- mands.” (176)

In the final verse of this magnificent psalm the writer does not attempt to be justified by his per- formance of the law but aligns himself with the rest of humanity and confesses his constant need of the shepherd savior. “All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all.” (Isa. 53:6) Even though he has kept the commands in his thoughts “Come and find me” is an appropriately humble prayer to end this giant poem.

1 Spurgeon 2 Kraus 3 Spence

4 Spurgeon 5 Scroggie 6 Kraus 7 Spence 8 Kraus 9 Spurgeon 10 Keil & Delitzsch 11 Grudem, page 90 12 Spurgeon

13 Keil & Delitzsch 14 Lewis, page 92 15 Keil & Delitzsch 16 Keil & Delitzsch 17 Spurgeon 18 Keil & Delitzsch 19 Micro Soft Dictionary, ‘hope’ 20 Kraus 21 Keil & Delitzsch 22 Spurgeon 23 Spence 24 Keil & Delitzsch

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