Weekly Introduction: Because the psalmist is living his life according to the precepts of God’s Word, he is able to rejoice in the life God has given him as he successfully navigates the unexpected turns and potential pitfalls of life. I pray that you will sense the joy of the psalmist as we look at the next 8 verses presented under the heading of the nineteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Qoph.

I call with all my heart; answer me, Lord, and I will obey your decrees (vs 145).

The psalmist makes an impassioned plea from the depths of his heart that the Lord would respond to his requests. As we have seen previously, most of those requests have to do with God to deal justly with those who are antagonistic toward him and his commitment to keep God’s laws. At first glance, this verse seems to indicate that the psalmist will relax his commitment to God’s precepts until He responds, but that is not the case. The psalmist will continue to keep God’s laws even while he waits for a response from his Creator, as should we all.

I call out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes (vs 146).

Once again, the psalmist “calls out” to God, requesting that He deliver him from whatever oppression he was experiencing. As in the previous verse, it seems that he will wait to keep the Lord’s statutes until he gets a response, but once again, that is not the case. As should each of us, we should not allow God’s delays in responding to our prayers be an excuse to allow our commitment to God and his Word to lapse.

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your Word (147).

It is clear that in this section of verses, the psalmist is facing a stressful situation of some kind, and he is crying out for help from the Lord. Have you ever been there? I certainly have. It’s a place where you just don’t know where to turn, until you turn to the Lord and lay your burdens at His feet. This is what the psalmist is doing, and He is putting his hope in the promises of God’s Word for deliverance, as should we.

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises (vs 148).

I know that we can all picture the psalmist tossing and turning all night, and then simply giving up his anxieties and rising to meditate on God’s promises. And again, there are many promises in God’s Word, but God’s promises for deliverance and a sense of peace in the midst of the storm seem to rise to the surface of his mind.

Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, Lord, according to your laws (vs 149).

The psalmist acknowledges God’s love for him, and because of that, he is assured that the Lord hears his cry of desperation. And, during times of stress and helplessness, we sometimes feel that our lives are fading away. In this situation, the psalmist asks God to “preserve” his life, and of course, it’s always according to His Word.

Those who devise wicked schemes are near, but they are far from your law (vs 150).

And finally, the psalmist lays it all out – there are those near to him who are “out to get him,” but they are people who live their lives far removed from God’s laws. Maybe you have such people in your own life. I suppose we all do at one time or another.

Yet you are near, Lord, and all your commands are true (vs 151).

Now, the psalmist is quick to acknowledge certain truths found in God’s Word, one of which is that “God is near to the brokenhearted and those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). And, as in this particular verse, we find that all His commands are true. In case we might be wondering about how many of His commands are true, when the psalmist says “all,” I’m sure he means “all.”

Long ago I learned from your statutes, that you established them to last forever (vs 152).

And now the psalmist reflects upon his life, even going back to the time when he was a young boy, that he had learned not only the content of the Lord’s statutes, but that he also learned to keep them. And he acknowledges that the Lord’s commands, at least His moral commands, have been established to last forever.

I’m sure that each of us has faced opposition regarding our faith, and with that opposition we have cried out to God for deliverance. Let’s respond as the psalmist did, which was to remain committed to the truths of God’s Word, and rest in God’s promises for deliverance for all those who put their trust in Him.