81 My soul
faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word.
82 My eyes
fail from searching Your word, Saying, "When will You comfort me?"
83 For I
have become like a wineskin in smoke, Yet I do not forget Your statutes.
88 Revive
me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the testimony of Your
mouth.
Psalm
119:81-88 is the eleventh stanza of this psalm, and every line or verse begins
with the eleventh letter of the Hebrew alphabet “KAPH”, in the Hebrew Bible. The
focus is on the responses of the believer while he waited for the Lord to judge
his enemies and deliver him from persecution and danger. His oppressors were
also the enemies of the Lord and of Israel, so his concern was more than
personal. Satan has been seeking to exterminate the Jews (v. 87) since the time
the nation was in Egypt, and he will continue until the end-times (Rev. 12).
The Christian life is a battleground, not a playground and we must expect
tribulation (John 16:33).
In verses 81-83, the anonymous psalmist is fainting but
hoping in God’s Word. His inner person was exhausted from longing for God
to work. His eyes were strained from watching for some evidence of His presence
(Lam. 2:11). He felt like a dried-up wineskin in smoke that had been thrown
aside as useless. The psalmist felt like that wineskin. The smoke was the
penetrating, pervasive, polluting influence of the world. He felt contaminated
by its atmosphere. Worse, he felt that God could no longer use him. The wine of
salvation, the water of the Word—how could it be poured out from him? The bad
odor of the world spoiled everything. He needed restoration. However, he never
gave up hope, for no matter how dark the hour, the future is our friend because
Jesus is our Lord. I like this quote: "It is always too soon to quit".
In verses 84-85, the psalmist was questioning but
waiting. In verse 84 he asked, "How long must your servant endure?”
(ESV), and in verses 82 and 84 he asked "When". These
questions have often been asked by suffering saints, even by the martyrs in
heaven (Rev. 6:9-11), because they are the natural response of people who are
suffering. (See Jer. 12:3-4; 15:15; and 20:11-12.) It is difficult for most of
us to wait for the things we can see, such as a traffic jam to end, a checkout
line to speed up, an important letter or e-mail to arrive, and it is even more
difficult to wait for our unseen Lord to work out His will. It is through "faith
and patience" that we inherit what God has appointed for us (Hebrews
6:12).
A good verse to remember in the dark times is Romans 15:4, “For
whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we
through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” James
reminds us that we should count it all joy when we face trials, tribulations
and temptations, knowing that they will produce patience if we trust in the
Lord (James 1:3-4). The enemy may be digging pits, but the Lord will see to it
that they fall into them first (Proverbs 26:27).
Finally, we find the psalmist trusting and being revived
by the thought of the LORD’s lovingkindness. (vv. 86-88). Is the enemy
spreading lies about you? God's Word is dependable and can be trusted (Psalm
119:128, 142, 151, 160). Do you feel like your defeat is very near? Rest on His
promises and rely on His love. Always remember when the Father allows His
children to go into the furnace of affliction, He keeps His eye on the clock
and His hand on the thermostat. He knows how long and how much.
To walk by sight and feelings will bring us unrest and
weakness, but to meditate on the Word will bring us peace and power. Once
again, the psalmist prayed to be revived and the Lord gave him grace to keep
the testimony of His Word (v. 88). And He will do the same for us when we trust
Him!
God bless!
