Psalm 119:81-88, Kaph

“My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your word.” Psalm 119:81.

It is thought by some expositors that this psalm was written by King David. Some say that it was probably written for his son King Solomon, or, and more likely, a psalm of instruction for children to memorize, its structure being designed for easy memorization.

While this psalm is written for the Israelites, let us use it for our modern day edification.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

“My soul faints for Your salvation…” salvation in this case does not mean being saved from hell, salvation here is one of deliverance, help, or safety.

There are many Christians today who are crying out to God for just these things. Government is out of control, not just ours, but all of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, the Far East, and North Korea, to name a few.

More than 1200 sexual assaults were committed in Cologne and other cities in Germany by Muslim men on a New Year’s Eve a few years back.

Add to this the burden of sexual assaults and lawless behavior by Muslim refugees throughout Europe creating an ongoing sense of anguish for law abiding citizens throughout the world.

The same goes for terrorist attacks by Muslim Jihadist in Paris last November 2016 killing 130, and recently in Nice France killing 84 and injuring 202 many critically.

Add to this the train attack in Germany on July 18, 2016 in which a young muslim goaded on by ISIS injured 5 with an ax and a knife.

In this country the police are under siege from terrorist attacks instigated by Black Lives Matter, a movement started by a group of communist homosexuals who advocate violence against law enforcement.

Black Lives Matter has a presence on many college campuses, even in places where the Black Panthers are not welcome.

Five officers were killed in Dallas Texas a week before three others are murdered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 17th, 2016 yet there is no real response by our liberal government.

And let us not forget the Orlando nightclub slaughter of 49 defenseless people on June 12, 2016.

Interestingly enough the outrage over the murder of 49 homosexuals by the liberal establishment caused a leading Muslim jihadist to advocate killing only whites and leaving the homosexuals alone.

Murder is murder, why do the media discriminate on the basis of who a person is?

It is no wonder that Christians are crying out to God and everyone is turning to Pokemon to escape reality. But now is not the time to escape, now is the time to pray fervently and to take up the offensive against sin and lawlessness.

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

The world has always had people like this, but not all at once. We live in an age which is becoming more as this passage describes day by day.

“And He [Jesus] said: ‘Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, “I am He,” and, “The time has drawn near.” Therefore do not go after them. But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.’ Then He said to them, ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom [fulfilled in World Wars 1 and 2]. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.’” Luke 21:8-11.

Even though Psalm 119:81 begins with, “My soul faints for Your salvation…” it ends with, “…but I hope in Your word.” God’s word tells us that Jesus will return for His own. In fact, Jesus tells us so Himself.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3.

“In My Father’s house are many mansions…” this was stated in the present tense, meaning the mansions were in existence when the Lord spoke of them.

“I go to prepare a place for you…” Jesus prepared a place by making a way to heaven via the cross.

“Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6.

While the mansions appear to be for the bride of Christ, Christians, Jesus Christ shed His blood for all mankind, everyone past, present and future.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6b.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you…” the place for you is not just for the disciples, but the entire body of Christ gathered during the church age from Pentecost to the rapture of the church.

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself…” Once the last person is added to church and the bride of Christ is complete, then Jesus will come again and remove her from the earth, and not before that time.

“…I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” This is the Christian’s hope which is in God’s word and in His faithfulness to carry it out.

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

“My eyes fail from searching Your word, saying, ‘When will You comfort me?’ For I have become like a wineskin in smoke, yet I do not forget Your statutes.” Psalm 119:82-83.

“My eyes fail from searching…” is the psalmist’s longing for the fulfillment of the promises of the word of God.

“When will You comfort me?” Whether in affliction or anguish over the current events, the Christian longs for the return of the Lord Jesus.

Though we have become weary and dried up within our souls like a wineskin in smoke, we do not forsake God’s statutes or decrees which keep us in His comfort, rather than wandering from Him by forsaking His will for us.

“And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:12.

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25-26.

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your [ours too] remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’” John 14:23-27.

“How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?” Psalm 119:84.

Men’s lives are but as a flower that appears one day and is gone the next, will they be persecuted throughout all of them? Will God not give deliverance?

“Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah
Surely every man walks about like a shadow; surely they busy themselves in vain; he heaps up riches, and does not know who will gather them. And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. Deliver me from all my transgressions; do not make me the reproach of the foolish.” Psalm 39:4-8.

“For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for Man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.” Psalm 103:11-18.

The Christian as well as the psalmist are often hedged about by those who wish to do them harm, either physical or to their reputation. It is only by prayer and clinging to the word of God and His promises that one can be safe.

“The proud have dug pits for me, which is not according to Your law. All Your commandments are faithful; they persecute me wrongfully; help me!” Psalm 119:85-86.

Proud, arrogant ungodly men have slowly entered into positions of authority, whether in the government, the media, or academia to pervert and destroy Christians and this nation which has been established on godly precepts.

Laws and evil policies have been introduced into the fabric of this nation with the intention of destroying Christianity and the system of government of America.

And now the proud are digging pits for Christians and moral Americans to fall into. Often these pits seem to come from good intentions, but they are demonic in origin and contrary in every way to God’s principles.

Socialism seems to help the poor, but it is only a means to gain more power over the legitimate citizens of the nation.

Politically correct seems to have the intention of creating an egalitarian environment of peace, but it only legitimizes sinful practices and lifestyles while silencing Christians who speak out against sin.

The various liberation movements only liberate their followers and give these woke meddlers more power to silence those moral persons who disagree with them. Ultra-leftist movements never stop demanding more, even when their original demands are met.

It is the woke swamp which is contrary to God’s law, and a way of darkness is the curse which is upon them.

“Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the Lord pursue them. For without cause they have hidden their net for me in a pit, which they have dug without cause for my life. Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, and let his net that he has hidden catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.” Psalm 35:6-8.

Destruction will indeed come upon them when the church is taken away and they will have to live with the evil that they promoted.

These evildoers will enter their own destruction when they have to live through the tribulation, a period of hell on earth, unlike even the things we are going through now.

“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3.

In Psalm 119:86 the psalmist states that all of God’s commandments are faithful and confesses that he is innocent and cries out for help from God. All who are godly can make the same confession of faith before men and seek God’s help in their affliction.

“They almost made an end of me on earth, but I did not forsake Your precepts. Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.” Psalm 119:87-88.

The psalmist speaks of death here but for him and for Christians it may not just be death, but loss or destruction of reputation.

The establishment of an evil, immoral, and unjust worldview has robbed Christians of their lives in Muslim countries, and of their employment and worldly goods in many other, so-called, tolerant countries, including America.

But no matter what the punishment, Christians have always made the good confession of Jesus Christ and His commandments.

Pray always that God will revive us so that we may continue to praise the Lord Jesus Christ without ceasing.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.

Psalm 119:81-88, Kaph taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 7-19-16, updated on 4-30-23.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.

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