Psalm 119:73-80

"I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me. May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant."

{Psalm 119:75,76} (NIV)

We think of Psalm 119 as a technical, yet beautiful, expression of a righteous person’s meditation on God’s Laws. Yet a major theme of this psalm is affliction. Verses 50, 67, 71, 75, 83, 92, 107, 143, and 153 all talk about his affliction and suffering. Verses 81, 82, and 123 speak of the trouble he has keeping his hope and faith while waiting for God to deliver him from his affliction. 

There is a major Biblical connection between affliction and living our lives in obedience to God’s Law. It is our sinful tendency to think of affliction as God’s anger directed at us, or God’s inability to protect His children. Yet this psalmist understands that affliction has come because of God’s faithfulness, and because of His great love for us. Affliction is permitted (even caused) by God, precisely because He loves us, and in faithfulness to us and to His great love He is teaching us and changing us to conform to His Son’s image (Rom 8:29) which is complete obedience to the Law of love for God and love for our neighbour. 

Friend, I will not be so bold in my suffering free life, as to speak of the purposes of affliction in your life. But I will be bold to point out that God’s love, according to the promise in the Law, is the source of this afflicted one’s comfort. 

Psalm 119:73-80

New International Version (NIV)

י Yodh

⁷³ 

Your hands made me and formed me;

    give me understanding to learn your commands.

⁷⁴ 

May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,

    for I have put my hope in your word.

⁷⁵ 

I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,

    and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

⁷⁶ 

May your unfailing love be my comfort,

    according to your promise to your servant.

⁷⁷ 

Let your compassion come to me that I may live,

    for your law is my delight.

⁷⁸ 

May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;

    but I will meditate on your precepts.

⁷⁹ 

May those who fear you turn to me,

    those who understand your statutes.

⁸⁰ 

May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,

    that I may not be put to shame.