Sustaining Grace - Psalm 119 (part 14)

"Sustain me according to Thy word,

that I may live;

and do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

Uphold me that I may be safe,

that I may have regard for Thy statutes continually."

(Psalm 119:116-117)

Throughout this wonderful psalm, David has prayed quite a few two-word prayers - each serving as a reminder to us that it is not the number of words but the heart behind them. David understands his need and knows that he doesn't "need" a lot of words to express it.

Here is a short list of those needy two-worders:

"revive me"

"strengthen me"

"teach me"

"establish me"

"help me"

"save me"

Verses 116-117 give us two more of these two-word pleas:

"sustain me"

"uphold me".

This morning I direct you to Matthew Henry's thoughts on these verses. He writes:

"David prays for sustaining grace - "sustain me" and "uphold me." He sees himself not only unable to go on in his duty by any strength of his own, but in danger of falling into sin unless he was prevented by divine grace.

"We stand no longer than God hold us and go no further than He carries us. Those that hope in God's word may be sure that the word will not fail them, and therefore their hope will not make them ashamed."

My prayer this day echoes David's. I need sustaining and upholding grace. I will find it as I meditate on the truths of the Scripture and as I am filled with the Holy Spirit who works in us through the Scripture.

I say that I will find it there because it profoundly strikes me that all of these two-word prayers have one remarkable thing in common - the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

"revive me according to Thy word"

"strengthen me according to Thy word"

"teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes"

"establish me in Thy word"

"all Thy commandments are faithful, help me"

"save me, for I have sought Thy precepts"

"sustain me according to Thy word"

"uphold me that I may have regard for Thy statutes continually"

Wow!

Do you need reviving and strengthening? Do you need to be taught? Do you need to be established and helped and saved in and from the storms of life? Do you need sustaining and upholding grace to keep going? I surely do and therefore I need the word.

I think I'll go spend a little more time in it and I pray that you will too!

Sustained by His grace according to His word,

Lori