Reading the Word

Psalm 119:153–160 (ESV)

¹⁵³ Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law. ¹⁵⁴ Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise! ¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes. ¹⁵⁶ Great is your mercy, O Lord; give me life according to your rules. ¹⁵⁷ Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from your testimonies. ¹⁵⁸ I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep your commands. ¹⁵⁹ Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love. ¹⁶⁰ The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

Understanding and Applying the Word

“Plead my cause and deliver me,” says the psalmist. “Give me life according to your promise.” These are the words of one who knows that he cannot save himself, but must rely on the Lord, who is merciful (cf. verse 156).

All of Scripture teaches that all of us have sinned against God and stand condemned. There is nothing that we can do in our own power and ability to repay or make up for our sinfulness. However, God himself has made a way for reconciliation. He has paid the price himself for all who will call out to him for forgiveness. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world as a man, lived a perfect life, and gave himself as a sacrifice for all of mankind. All who trust in his death are forgiven of their sins and given eternal life, not because of anything they have done to earn it, but by the grace of God alone.

The best news is that Jesus, who died for the sins of mankind, later rose from the dead in victory over sin and death. His resurrection proves that his sacrifice was accepted by God and that, through him, we can have victory over sin and death as well. The risen Savior now stands in the presence of the Father and pleads the case for all who trust in him. He pleads our cause and redeems us as his very own, giving us eternal life. What a wonderful Savior we have!

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