Day 861: The good confession - Psalm 119 vs 41-48

41-42 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise; then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word. 43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.

44-47 I will keep your law continually, for ever and ever, and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts. I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame, for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.

48 I will lift up my hands towards your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes. Psalm 119:41-48 English Standard Version

The writer of this Psalm was someone who had taken God's promises of salvation to heart. So in vs 41-42 he prays for God to bring that promise about in a situation he was facing. He doesn't seem to be praying about the eternal salvation of his soul at death, but rather asking for deliverance from those who were taunting him regarding some calamity he was facing. What did he base his hopes upon in those two verses?

I suggest his hopes were based on God's promises, and the fact that God's love is steadfast. And also because he could truly say that he was trusting in God's word. He had a clear conscience as he prayed! Perhaps this is why in vs 43 he asks God to keep His word alive in his life. He wants to live in the way God calls us to live. In a similar way, the apostle Peter wrote to Christians and said: “Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” (1 Peter 3:16)

What did he believe would be the result of God's promises and steadfast love, and of keeping his conscience clear by following God's rules rather than sinful ways? (vs 44-47)

He speaks of walking in a wide place, and of even being able to give his testimony before kings. It gives a picture of an unhindered journey, and of confidence to tell others about God. He would not to be ashamed of God's word no matter who he was talking to.

The apostle Paul advised Christians to have this sort of attitude as well. Writing to his dear friend Timothy he said: “People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10) That's what happens if we love things of the world more than God and His word, and we make no effort to keep our conscience clear.

Paul then goes on in that chapter and says: “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time.” (1 Timothy 6:11-15)

The Lord Jesus Christ was the perfect example of a man who loved the Father, and who lived in the way God calls us to live. He was able, with a clear conscience, to testify before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor. That was true later of the apostle Paul as well. He spoke at length about God to a Roman Governor named Felix, and then to a King named Agrippa.

You and I will probably not be called to confess Christ and give our testimony to Kings or Governors, but God may well use believers to speak to people in high postions in companies. But even if we are only called to witness to neighbours and friends, a clear conscience will add boldness to our words. In which case, like the writer of this Psalm, let's make vs 48 a big part of our life!