Psalm 141:8

Psalm 141:8

My eyes are fixed on You!

The previous verse of this Psalm might have left us feeling a bit desolate and afraid, for if the judgements of the Lord are to be experienced by all those who are wicked, how will any of us escape? Surely, all have sinned and fall short, are there any among us who do not break God’s laws and fail to meet to His standards of righteousness? Can we really point the finger at certain people and label them as wicked but consider ourselves to be good enough for salvation? It seems that David felt this tension and seeks to convince the Lord that his hope and trust are that He will watch over him and save him from the clutches of eternal separation and death. 

There’s a difference between giving the Lord an occasional glance or a half hour per day and actually fixing our eyes on Him. Going back to the illustration of the plough (in verse 7), it is essential that a good ploughman keep his eyes fixed on an immoveable point when making the first furrow across a field. Holly trees used to be planted and used for this purpose in earlier times. It is that hour by hour, minute by minute focus that literally keep us on the straight and narrow. And we need to constantly remind ourselves that is the sovereign Lord, Adonai, that we are taking our path from. If we want a straight path, then we must fix our eyes on Him.

But He is not just a good reference point! He is our place of refuge as we travel through life, He awaits us at the end, but He also goes with us on our journey. Therefore, we can be assured that although our bodies and bones may be mortal, our destiny with Him is not! Hallelujah!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more

Psalm 119:87

  Psalm 119:87 Almost but not quite If only we knew the circumstances that form the back story to this Psalm! What happened to the psalm-writer to make him feel so vulnerable? Who exactly were these antagonists and persecutors and how did they “almost wipe our friend from the earth”? We’ve already speculated that he must have been a priest or maybe a member of the royal family for his suffering seems to have wide-ranging and public consequences. It seems that there had been a murderous plot on his life and now the author admits that whilst he nearly died, he still clings tenaciously to the precepts of the Lord his God. Precepts are the laws and commands that come from the lips of overseers, in other words, the writer believes that the Lord is watching over him and that he is safeguarded and protected by the words that come from His guardian.  There is a vital lesson here for us, there will be times when, at the very least, our reputations are under threat; for some who believe...
Read more

Psalm 119:96

Psalm 119:96 Beyond perfection What a curious verse! What does the writer mean when he says,  “To all perfection I see a limit, but Your commands are boundless?”  Perhaps this is better translated, “ Everything I see has its limits, but Your commands have none ”, or “ Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limits. ”  It’s a deeply philosophical point isn’t it, that when we consider perfection, we have to admit that it can go no further, it can be improved no more. If something is perfect there is nothing more to add, it cannot be bettered. In that sense, perfection has its boundaries and its limitations. The writer is telling us that God’s commands are limitless, they have no boundaries; the word used here is translated “broad” in some translations. His commands go beyond perfection! It feels like we are standing on a beach somewhere, gazing at the vastness of the ocean before us and pondering its beginning and its end, or gazing at the night sky with i...
Read more