word. And now once again we'll
turn to the 119th Psalm and this evening we'll concentrate on
verses 61 to 64. So the 119th Psalm and reading
verses 61 to 64. The bands of the wicked have
robbed me, but I have not forgotten thy law. At midnight I will rise
to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. I
am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep
thy precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of
thy mercy. Teach me thy statutes. So the psalmist tells us of what
had happened to him in his life. He tells us, the bands of the
wicked have robbed me. He'd lost many things that David
had in his life. And we know he was thrust out
of the kingdom at one time and chased around and had virtually
nothing. and ran away on one occasion
without his sword or anything. And so he tells us the bands
of the wicked have robbed me. And remember he was The king,
he knew he would be king, and yet he's able to tell us quite
clearly the position that he was in. And then he tells us,
but I have not forgotten thy law. He hadn't forgotten the
things of the Lord. He hadn't forgotten his goodness
and mercy. He hadn't forgotten his favor. he hadn't forgotten the help
that he'd had he hadn't forgotten the great and glorious words
of Almighty God and so he tells us but I've not forgotten thy
law and that's a great blessing for us in our day when perhaps
things are going against us as they were as he tells us here
the bands of the wicked have robbed me but yet he's still
able to say he hadn't forgotten thy law. What a great blessing
that is for us today and in those situations to realize the great
truths that the Lord Jesus spoke when he was on the earth on that
servant on the mount. When he spoke and said, but lay
out for yourselves treasures in heaven. Treasures in heaven
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do
not break through nor steal. You see, throughout the Word
of God we are directed to that great need to have treasure in
heaven. Treasure in this life, on this
earth, will pass away. We can't take anything with us
when we leave this earth. we'll have to leave it all behind
but what a wonderful blessing if by the grace of God we have
a treasure in heaven that's a glorious thing because that treasure will
never fade away it's the same yesterday and today and forever
I know of course that We don't have time and eternity, but it's
just an illustration. So he tells us, then, I have
not forgotten thy law. And then he makes a very important
statement. At midnight, I will rise to give
thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. at midnight of course it's usually
the time when we're probably most asleep having gone to bed
and gone to sleep and we're often in a very sound sleep at that
time of night and yet David is able to tell us here at midnight
I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous
judgment what a blessing that is and how we are reminded so
many times that we are to give thanks unto God we have so much
to give God thanks for in our natural life and above that in
our spiritual life so it's really a great blessing if we're so
moved by the Spirit of God that whatever the situation or time
we give thanks unto our God. What an important thing it is
to realize that we are blessed indeed. Sometimes it may mean
we have to rouse ourselves to get up and give thanks. And often, you know, the bed's
very comfortable, isn't it? We like to stay there. What a
blessing if the Spirit of God so moves us as we consider his many favours
toward us that we have to get out of bed and give thanks unto
the Lord at midnight doesn't leave us in any doubt when it
was at midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because
of thy righteous judgments really he's telling us God had not dealt
with him as his sins deserve. And we well know that David's
life was not perfect at all. As we look at our lives, we'll
find they're not perfect at all. But what a blessing it is to
know that we have a God and we desire to give thanks to him
and praise his name for all his mercy and for all his favor and
especially if He's revealed Himself unto us as our all-sufficient
Saviour, that One who has given His life so that you and I might
possess the great and glorious gift of eternal life. What great things they are. What
great things we have to give thanks for. And what a blessing
it is when the Spirit of God moves us to this situation. Because, He tells us, because
of our righteous judgments. In Psalm 33, He tells us this,
He loveth righteousness and judgment. The earth is full of the goodness
of the Lord. It's good if you and I have eyes
to observe this. and not to go about blind as
it were but have our eyes opened to observe the goodness of the
Lord well what a blessing it is then if we're favoured to
understand the truth of his word and then he says I am a companion
of all them that fear thee what a blessing it is that there is
a remnant that fear the Lord And what a blessing if our friends,
if our companions are those who fear the Lord. We don't look
outside. We don't look into the world
for companionship. But we are blessed to look and
be with those that fear the Lord. Because we have a common conversation. should have a conversation which
touches the king which speaks of eternal realities and there
is a unity of the spirit which is not found in the things of
this poor world and so he's able to confirm he is a companion
of all them that fear thee what a blessing it is for each one
of us if we have that conscious realization that we also companions
of those that fear God. What a blessing, what a mercy
it is that you and I have companions who fear God. Our lot could have
been found in a alien situation with no one really to speak to,
no real companions. How merciful and kind and gracious
God is. I am a companion of all them
that fear Him. And then, of course, what follows,
does follow, and of them that keep thy precepts. Because those
who are true believers, those who truly fear God, desire to
keep the way of God. They desire to follow His pattern,
to follow the way set before us in the world of God. to keep
his precepts. It's a wonderful testimony. It's
a wonderful evidence of the fear of the Lord with those who desire
to keep the precepts of God. And what a blessing it is, therefore,
if we do just that. We might have a difficult life
and a hard life. Indeed, we read that chapter
in Hebrews, the 10th chapter of Hebrews, because there we
have a statement where the apostle says, partly whilst you remain
a gazing stock. We don't like being made a gazing
stock, do we? But you see, if we're counted
worthy to suffer for his sake, in measure we will be a gazing
stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst
ye became companions of them that were so used. So the true
believer walks in a similar way. That's why we have companions. We walk in that way where the
companions are a gazing stock. They are mocked. But what a blessing
it is to have union and of course centred upon union with the Lamb
from condemnation free. And finally he says the earth
O Lord is full of thy mercy teach me thy statutes. Well it's a great blessing if
you and I can observe all those mercies which the Lord grants
even in this present time. If we look around the world today
We really can be so shocked, really, and disappointed at the
evil which exists, where men and women, boys and girls, follow
false religions, or often walk contrary to God, and God doesn't
cut them off. We are told here, the earth,
O Lord, is full of thy mercy. And it's good for us to recognize
that is so, but what a mercy if you and I can tracing it out
in a particular way to our own life to realise that God has
had mercy upon us and God has caused us to come in with a publican
and pray, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. It's God's grace. It's God's mercy. Well, may we
rejoice in it. The earth, O Lord, is full of
thy mercy. Teach me thy statutes. To continue in desire, we read
a lot about the precepts and the law and the statutes of God
in this 119th Psalm. The psalmist was very concerned
to walk in the ways of God. It would be a great blessing
for us, if we are concerned, to walk in the law of God, to
keep his statutes. Well, may we realize the mercy
of the Lord in our lives. Amen.