God's Promise Is Our Hope ( Psalm 119:41-48) - A Sermon by Elise Beatrice

This is Psalm 119, from verses 41 to 48; Wow.

Lord, thank You for teaching us. Thank You for your Holy Spirit, who guides us and helps us to understand Your words, our treasure. Please help us to dig that treasure.

Let's read.

Psalm 119:41-48

Psalms 119:41–48

41 Lord, give me your unfailing love,

the salvation that you promised me.

42 Then I can answer those who taunt me,

for I trust in your word.

43 Do not snatch your word of truth from me,

for your regulations are my only hope.

44 I will keep on obeying your instructions

forever and ever.

45 I will walk in freedom,

for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

46 I will speak to kings about your laws,

and I will not be ashamed.

47 How I delight in your commands!

How I love them!

48 I honor and love your commands.

I meditate on your decrees.

Yes. So when I read these words this morning, I was having a smile on my face because it is really, really beautiful when you read God's words and say, 'Amen,' because you agree, because you relate to, because you can almost say, 'Oh wow, that person wrote something for me as well!' Because when you read it, you can say, 'Yes!' And they just feel so good. So, the Lord approves of this, for He sees it is what I'm doing, and I'm really praying that each one of us will practice these words so that when you read them, you don't say, 'Yes,' and then feel bad about it. You don't say, 'Amen,'then feel bad because you're saying, 'What am I saying, 'Amen' to if I'm not really doing this.'

We agree with the Lord so that we can then do what He says.

So yes, "Lord, give me Your unfailing love. The salvation that You promised me."

In fact, the Lord has promised me salvation. He has promised us all salvation, eternal life, and also our daily protection, like He promised me He would deliver me by the grace of God Most High. And because He promised it, He will do it.

The only time He's not going to give us that salvation is when we refuse it. It is when we have not welcomed it. If not, He would give it to everybody, even to nonbelievers. He promises, 'I'll give you this,' but there is always our part to do, what we must do to receive it, yes.

"Then I can answer those who taunt me, for I trust in Your word."

Because, if the one who's praying like this has not yet seen that salvation, or probably, they're in the situation of sickness, and they have not yet received that, they might not have the confidence to even answer to those who are taunting them. But when we know for sure and trust in the Lord, knowing that He will answer, and always does what He says, we can already answer to those people who taunt us, trusting that the salvation that the Lord has promised is coming, because He's not going to undo His salvation. It will go ahead, and He'll give it to whoever wants it.

So, "Do not snatch your words of truth from me, for your regulations are my only hope."

Yes, this is beautiful, and it is really something I relate to you. 'Do not snatch Your word of truth from me,' because he has found something that is far more valuable than anything around him. He has found a treasure, something that he must dig every day beneath these words. He has found something precious to him which is far more valuable than what those who taunt him possess. So for this, he cherishes those words because they are everything to him. His hope lies in these words, and he knows that they will come true. He knows that they are truth. He knows that it is the only way that will finally give him that love that will never end, the promise that will lead to eternal life, with no one to take that away from him, with no more evil to steal his joy. But these words, the truth, the Word of God, because it is sacred and precious to him.

"Do not snatch your word of truth from me."

Because if You snatch that word of truth from me, what else do I have? I had myself pray like that a few times, because sometimes the enemy may cause me to forget things. And then, at that moment, I say to myself, 'How would I be if I couldn't remember those words the Lord teaches me?'

And without those words, it's like you have nothing. Once you have equipped yourself with the Word of God, and, and you see that they are truly what is more precious in your life, if they are not there, you can't imagine life without them. So, for this, you say, 'What do I do? Please, don't, don't snatch Your words of truth from me.'

Okay, he said, 'Don't.'

Obviously, God is not snatching His words of truth, but that is an expression to say, 'God, You have the power to preserve these words in me. Please don't snatch them.'

In fact, it's not God snatching the words, it is the enemy. And demons want us to forget the words of God. Demons want to snatch the Words of God from us. But since we trust in God to have the power to protect us, we say, 'Please, Lord, do not snatch Your words of truth from me.'

In a way, it means, 'Don't let the enemy take those words away from me, because they are all that I've got. They are all that I hold on to. They are my hope, a promise. Because I know You. And I know that Your words never return void. The salvation that You promise, You will give it, You will bring it, and for this, I cherish it, and I hold on to it.'

Yes, "I will keep on obeying Your instructions forever and ever."

Because there is a reward behind obeying the Lord's instructions. There are a lot of beautiful things, because you never get lost. And there is a guarantee that God is with you, for every time the enemy is trying to deceive me, the Lord has always been exposing him and showing me the way out. So, for this reason, because obedience to God is a treasure, it is precious, and you hold on to it forever because you have something that many don't have.

You have found something that is everything. Obedience to the Lord. Obedience to His words. You have tasted it. You have eaten it, and you have loved it. And for this, you vow not to let it go, because then, you're lost without them. You don't even know how to live anymore without them, you are no longer that person you used to be. And now, without those words, you are empty. At least this is how I feel.

"I will walk in freedom. For I have devoted myself to your commandments."

Yes, walking in freedom means 'no fear.' Because devoting ourselves to the Lord's commandments, we have no fear. Fear comes from knowing that we are not really doing what God says, and that convicts us.

But when we are confident with what is written and know that we are doing our part, we walk in freedom, meaning, we are free. We have no guilt in that department. We know that we are doing what God instructs us to do, so we are free. We walk in confidence, for the Lord is pleased with us for obeying Him. So, we strive to obey Him so that we don't feel all this guilt or act defensive when somebody mentions the Words of God, because we know we are not practicing them.

So yes, we make sure that the Lord is pleased with us, and we surely will receive what He has promised for us in His mighty name, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

So thank You, Lord God, for this sermon. Thank You for Your beautiful words, Lord. Thank You for your promise. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You that Your words are forever and that You always keep Your promise. Please help us, those who are willing, to live according to Your ways, and to listen to Your words and to live by Your words, for they are indeed beautiful. When people succeed in living that way, it is really, really beautiful. So, thank You, Lord God.

There are many in this earth who have tasted that beauty, and they remain truthful to Your teachings. So, Lord, thank You for continuing to do the great job that You do in us, and please deliver us from evil and deliver us from everything that is trying to take our minds away from You.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Lord, we love You, and thank You for loving us. In Your glorious name, we pray, my God. Amen.