Psalm 119: Focus On God's Word Pt. 65 Let Good Words Come From Our Mouths

Psalm 119:17-21  GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. 18)  Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. 19)  I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me. 20)  My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times. 21)  Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments. 

Faith in the Word while suffering reproaches. 

Psalm 119:22  Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies. 

If we suffer reproaches what might God be seeking to teach us? One purpose in suffering reproach is that Jehovah will humble us, and test our hearts and through the process of suffering reproaches, He will turn it for our good (See Deuteronomy 8:16). 

We noted how Paul learned to embrace suffering, reproaches and weakness because God was glorified in them. Reproach is a good antidote for our spirit when we are infected with pride or self conceit.

Reproaches can try our faith. 

1 Peter 1:7-9  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8)  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9)  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

Suffering reproaches here and now serves like the refiner who seeks to produce the purest gold or silver. The metal must be heated up and the dross skimmed off when it rises to the top.

In like manner, we have many impurities and it takes the heat of suffering reproaches in order to remove the dross from our lives. The purifying fire of suffering reproaches makes us pure vessels for our Lord to use. 

God's purpose is to present us to Himself with praise, honor and glory when Christ brings us home to heaven. Steel that is heat treated is stronger than untreated steel.

Jehovah is our judge and He will defend us. 

Psalm 37:5,6  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6)  And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. 

Like Peter, King David urges us to commit our way to Jehovah. This calls for us not just to trust Him with our hearts, but to trust ourselves, our possessions, and our passions to Him. It is a trust that is willing to say, "All I have is yours, Lord. to do according to your good pleasure." 

He will work things out when we suffer reproach and our faith will be made strong and God will ultimately defend us before those who heaped reproach on us. 

Patience flows from our faith being tried by reproaches.

James 5:7-10  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8)  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9)  Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10)  Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 

James urges us to be patient because that is a fruit of our faith being tried. Just as a farmer must patiently wait for the rainfall, so that his crops may grow, so we must be patient as we endure testing in this life. 

A patient heart while undergoing suffering of reproaches of testing from God, means we will not be angry with others over the trial of our faith. 

James then pointed us to the prophets as examples of patiently suffering for their Lord. They endured affliction with patience, knowing that Jehovah would reward their faith and trust in Him. 

Paul's example for the trials we face. 

1 Corinthians 4:12,13  And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13)  Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 

Paul lived as an example for us to follow. He certainly suffered more than his fair share of reproaches for the sake of Jesus Christ. 

When reviled, he blessed. When persecuted, he suffered it patiently. When he was defamed or reproached, he prayed for his accusers. 

This is why we undergo trials of our faith. It promotes humble dependency upon God, trust in God and patience in us.

Our natural man will want to respond in kind when someone unjustly reproaches us. We must be reminded that vengeance belongs to the Lord and He will repay those who do us wrong. Therefore, we must not hurl reproaches back at those who lay them on us. 

Our tongue must be governed by God's Spirit.

James 1:26  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 

James highlights the importance of patiently suffering reproaches as a believer in Christ. God teaches us to bridle our own tongue and this is a good thing for us. 

How often do we say something in the heat of the moment without our brain being engaged, and then we are filled with remorse over what we blurted out? Thus, the tongue needs a bridle and this is provided by God (See James 3).

Proverbs 12:17,18  He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit. 18)  There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. 

Let our tongues speak forth words of truth and righteousness free from being vindictive toward others. The tongue of a wise man can say those things which will help and can be healthy to one's soul. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Suffering the reproaches of men for the cause of Jesus Christ will not make us vile in the sight of God. He knows our heart because He has searched it and tried it, in order to purify us.

Hebrews 13:13-14  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.  14)  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Believers can bear the reproaches of Christ, because God is teaching us that we are to live for the unseen, eternal things of God, rather than the seen things of this world. We walk by faith not by sight. 

May the Lord help us be strong like the Psalmist by keeping or guarding God's testimonies in our heart. May we live our life according to His testimonies.

Lord, help us not to revile when others reproach us. Help us not to lash out in anger but to have your Spirit govern our tongue, so that what we do say is truth from your Word. 

Help us share your truth with love toward others, that you might bring them to yourself, through repentant faith in Jesus Christ. 

Bob