Reading the Word

Psalm 119:121–128 (ESV)

¹²¹ I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. ¹²² Give your servant a pledge of good; let not the insolent oppress me. ¹²³ My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. ¹²⁴ Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. ¹²⁵ I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! ¹²⁶ It is time for the Lord to act, for your law has been broken. ¹²⁷ Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. ¹²⁸ Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.

Understanding and Applying the Word

The psalmist declares that his “eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.” He desires that God will come and judge the world with righteousness and justice. The psalmist is facing oppression from those who do not know the Lord or follow the Lord’s word. So, it is time for God to act and save his people.

In every age, the people of God have faced rejection and persecution on some level. Some face mocking and loss of family and friend relationships. Others may face public shaming or ostracism from the community. And some face harsh consequences including imprisonment or death. It is not easy to live out the word of God in our lives. For some, it is extremely difficult.

However, for the believer, we place our hope in the salvation that God has promised to those who trust in him. The Bible tells us that if we trust in the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ for our sins against God we will be saved. Through Christ, our sins are paid for. And for those who trust in the Lord, we receive the promise of an eternity with God in a new heaven and new earth where sin has received its final judgment and is no more. So, we too long for the salvation that God has promised and wait for him to act.

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