The Word of Hope

Psalm 119 is focussed on just one thing: the word of God. To the Hebrew mind, this verse would have been very special. It’s the first of a group of eight verses all beginning with the letter zayin (English ‘z’). This is the seventh letter of the alphabet; and seven represented completeness. And it’s the forty-ninth verse – seven times seven. Moreover, the shape of zayin suggested a sword. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).

This psalm uses about a dozen different Hebrew words for the word of God. The one here (dabar) is the ‘umbrella word’– it covers everything. David is thinking about all that God has ever spoken into his life. He is constantly speaking His word into our lives: through the Scriptures, through sermons, through Christian books, prophetic words, something that resonates in our spirit.

And through it, God gives us hope, one of the most basic of human needs. For many people, seeing ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ helps them get through hard times. But a Christian’s hope isn’t ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, it’s much better than that. It comes from the faithfulness of God; the utter reliability of a God who is always faithful to His word. It’s light in the tunnel. It’s His light on our path (Psalm 119:106).

Why does David ask God to ‘remember’ His word? Had He forgotten it? Of course not!

You’ll often find, in the Bible, people making declarations of truth. A powerful example is in 2 Chronicles 20. The people of Judah were confronted by a vast invading army. Instead of attacking them, the people were led out by singers singing, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever’ (2 Chronicles 20:21). The story continues: As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. All this was in response to a prophetic word in which God had promised deliverance. They stepped out with an unshakeable hope that He would fulfil what He had promised through His word: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s…. Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you…. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you’ (2 Chronicles 20:15-17). As they ‘reminded’ God of His unending love and faithfulness, they reminded themselves and marched out full of hope.

Are there battles, challenges, issues that you face today? God doesn’t forget His word to you. The battle is not yours but God’s, so stand firm on His promises.