PSALM 119:65-72 TETH

Are you ready? Are you ready for what? Are you ready if
something was to come along your way and you havent been prepared
for it?

Tuesday evening a week-ago Pearl and I arrived home from shopping in
Asda. Philip gave us both an envelope that contained a book token or
so we thought. When we opened it you could imagine our surprise when
it contained air tickets to London and hotel tickets while we were there.

We panicked! We tried to be so careful to say nothing that would offend
him and the work he had done to get us these. Pearl began she
couldnt take time off, she had just moved into a new school, she had so
much to do, she couldnt possibly ask for two days off. Not to worry, said
Philip, he had it all prepared. The HT and the Depute and some of the
staff knew all about it and there was no problem for Pearl to get off.

Me I was due another week off, and a couple of Sundays too but I
couldnt ask Terry at such short notice, - no way! Once again though,
Philip had it worked out and along with Terry and Gordon, the
meetings were covered.

Nevertheless, both Pearl and I were in so much shock because we
werent prepared, and we hadnt planned it ourselves.

Often things happen to us that we dont plan that we are not in control
of. We like to know whats going on and when something takes place that
we havent made preparation for it throws us into disarray.

Once again, I take great strength from how the psalmist teaches me here.
In v.67 he acknowledges before the Lord how he has been afflicted; this
affliction seems to have gotten the better of him for it seems he went
astray. We have already been noticing how he has regularly had to
contend with opposition from among the people. This is a well-known
tactic of the devil. Constantly this opposition niggled away at him,
but then he came to understand that instead of concentrating so much on
the enemy it was better for him to ignore the enemy and concentrate on
the Lord. That is a good lesson for many of us in the Lords work to
learn.

2
The opposition was bearing heavily upon him, - and he seems to
have been the type of person that longed for everyone to like him and he
felt it when it wasnt the case. He spoke about the proud and their evil
tactics, v.69 The proud have forged a lie against me and it broke his heart.
Lies were being made up about him and, of course, lies come so easily to
the enemies of the people of God. We find throughout Scripture that
Gods servants are often accused in this way. The psalmist went on to
describe these people in v.70 their heart is as fat as grease or another way
it can be translated is, their hearts are callous, hard, cold.

Now, we are not going to concentrate on the tactics of the enemy for
this part of the psalm is much more beautiful than that; we would be
doing the Lord a disservice if we concentrated too much on His enemies
and ours. Instead, the emphasis in this psalm is on what is good in the life
of the believer. God is good!

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!
There is a little Hebrew word, tob bwj, and it is mentioned no less
than six times in these eight verses; it can be translated as good, pleasant,
beneficial, precious, delightful, and right.
The reason God does what is good is because He is good and because
He does what is according to His Word and His sovereign eternal plan.
Neither Gods character nor His Word will ever change so, God is
good all the time.
To understand His goodness though and to take full cognisance of it
you need to understand He is in absolute control, the Bible says He is
the Author and the Finisher. Nothing can knock His plans out of kilter.
That means too we ask God for that which is in accordance with His
precepts, promises and the principles He has laid out in His Word.
To ask God for something contrary to His will and His Word is to ask
ignorantly and selfishly (J ames 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask
amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts) and when He does decide
to give us what we ask for, we do be sorry and wish we had never asked.
This happened to the children of Israel when they asked God for
flesh to eat (Ps. 106:13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for
his counsel: 14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God
in the desert. 15 And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into
their soul. 16 They envied Moses also in the camp, and Aaron the saint of
the LORD. 17 The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered
3
the company of Abiram. 18 And a fire was kindled in their company; the
flame burned up the wicked. [cf. Num. 11:31-35]).
That is why it is better to pray the prayer of v.66, for the clearer
we know Gods Word, the better we can pray and be obedient to His will.
God is good all the time.

GOD OVERRULES EVIL AND FROM IT HE BRINGS GOOD
Whatever it was the psalmist did in disobedience to Gods Word, the
Lord did not cast him off but disciplined him and restored him. At the
time, the discipline was not pleasant but it brought the psalmist back to
the Lord so it was worth it.
Sometimes, however, we are obedient and we still experience
suffering, why is that? There isnt always an easy answer but if you live
close to the Lord you find that your suffering is a means by which the
Lord matures you and teaches you. Ive often had some of my best visits
with elderly people for whom this world doesnt give much promise.
Spurgeon said that the promises of God shine the brightest in the
furnace of affliction you see, Rom. 8:28 all things work together for good
to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
The psalmist here refers, as he did back in v.14, to the Word of God
as his treasure. The child of God does not live by the priorities and values
of the world but he/she puts the will of God above everything else.
No matter what might come your way, God has you, - believer, - held
in the grip of His mighty hand. I Cor. 10:13 God is faithful, who will not
suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also
make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Yes, God is good, not just some of the time, God is good all of the
time.
Lets develop this a little bit further. Turn with me please to II Cor.
1:3,4a and vv.8-11. 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us
in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any
trouble 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which
came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength,
insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9 But we had the sentence of death in
ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the
dead: 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we
trust that he will yet deliver us; 11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that
for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given
by many on our behalf.
4

THE LORD PERMITS THE TRIALS TO COME
Nothing can come into your life that God does not know about. In the
Greek language there are no less than ten basic words for suffering
and Paul used five of them in this letter.
The one he uses most regularly is ql i' yi, narrow, confined, under
pressure, anguish, distress, tribulation. It is a very heavy word.
Generally, when Paul used it he was describing how he felt hemmed in
by difficult circumstances, and the only way he could look was up
We must never think that trouble is an accident, instead for the
believer everything is a divine appointment.
Some people say its just bad luck or fate or karma, - if that was the
case, you might as well give up because theres nothing you can do
but the Bible teaches us that God is in control and that when we trust Him
He can bring us through the most difficult circumstances.
That was what the psalmist learned, v.71 It is good for me that I have
been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
God is in control of all the trials that come your way, - ask J ob
23:8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot
perceive him: 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him:
he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: 10 But he knoweth
the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
Paul said, v.8 we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch
that we despaired even of life. You would never imagine that such a great
servant of God would become so low but Paul did! He had to contend
with everyday matters and he also had to contend with such a great
amount of opposition from professing believers that I praise God I have
never had to deal with to such a degree!
But God knew just how much Paul could take and Paul knew
God had it all under control. Warren Wiersbe writes, When God puts
His children into the furnace, He keeps His hand on the thermostat and
His eye on the thermometer.
Paul was a mighty man, a skilled man in the Word and an
experienced servant of God who had gone through all sorts of trials
but, you see, even Paul had to depend upon the Lord he had to keep
learning that apart from God, he was nothing.
Remember what Paul said, II Cor. 12:10 I take pleasure in infirmities, in
reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for
when I am weak, then am I strong. The Lord sends you trials so that you
dont run ahead of yourself and think you can do without Him.
5
J ust imagine, old Abraham and old Sarah thought they were long
past the child-bearing age, but when it seemed impossible in human
terms, God enabled them to have the child He promised them.
You see, God wants us to trust Him to depend upon Him, not on
our gifts or abilities, our experience or anything else.
You can be absolutely sure that the God who raises the dead is
sufficient for anything life throws at us.
And notice that Paul did not try to deny he was getting life tough
God does not want us to deny our emotions, - they are part of us/our
make-up.
Sometimes Pauls health wasnt all that good, often he had to contend
with nasty individuals and groups of opposers he had so many
different types of conflict but he could always see Gods hand of
deliverance wherever he looked.
David wrote a beautiful verse, Ps. 34:6 This poor man cried, and the
LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles when I am weak, then
am I strong.
Sometimes the Lord delivers you immediately, sometimes He makes
you wait; He doesnt always deliver us in the same way, - Peter was freed
from prison, J ames was too by being beheaded in prison both were
delivered, but in different ways.
When your loved one is lying in the hospital bed seriously ill, the
Lord can deliver them and heal them completely or He can also take them
unto Himself to the place where there is no longer illness or pain.
In II Cor. 1:11 such a great chorus of praise and thanksgiving rose up
from the saints round the throne, Ye also helping together by prayer for us,
that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be
given by many on our behalf. The highest service you and I can render on
earth is to bring glory to God. That is why He formed us and made us His
own.
And Paul was never ashamed to ask fellow-believers to pray for him,
- he often spoke of his great need of their prayers. Many of us give thanks
for those who pray regularly for us, - I appreciate it for my work here.
We are labourers together not labourers against each other. We
have enough against us with the scheming and the wiles of the devil.
Difficulties can increase our faith. Gods purpose in our trials is that
we might draw closer to Him and that even in the difficulties He may
hear our praise.
6
I remember being at the bedside of a woman in the last few
moments of her life, her friends were there too, - Ill never forget it. She
was hardly able to speak, she was so weak and yet she was singing the
hymns of glory. Imagine going into Heaven with a song on your weak
lips and opening your eyes to see the Saviour and joining in with the song
of the great choir of the Redeemed.

Conclusion
Ps. 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy
statutes. Can you see what the psalmist is saying?
God is good all of the time. He never allows anything to come your
way that He has not planned for.
No matter how serious the evil has come upon you He brings good
out of it. We dont always see the bigger picture, but He does. He knows
why He has planned certain things the way He has planned them.
His plans are sure and certain, Ps. 111:8 They stand fast for ever and
ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
What a great and glorious God we have! Believer, are you trusting in
His power never to disappoint you? Whatever it is He has you going
through at this moment, you can be confident God knows what He is
doing and He is doing it for your good and for His glory.
Unbeliever, do you see what you are missing out on? What hope do
you have when you inevitably go through the strains and difficulties of
life? Here is a God Who sent His Son to the worst of suffering on the
cross of Calvary and He did it with the purpose on His mind to save
people like you and I.
Believe on J esus Christ today to save you and He will lift you up
in His mighty hands and He will set your feet upon the solid and
immoveable Rock Who is the Saviour, the Lord J esus Christ. Amen.