Psalm 119:153

Psalm 119:153 “Look upon my suffering and deliver me, for I have not forgotten Your law.”
 

In this verse, David is seeking deliverance. He is using his remembrance (practice) of God’s law as his premise for asking for deliverance. Obedience is a symbol of love. Our love for God is directly related to our obedience to Him. If a person declares their love to God but does not follow God’s law, their declaration of love is considered false by God. 

We read of this, in Ezekiel 33:31, “My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they DO NOT PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE (emphasis mine). With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.” Devotion is measured by our obedience to God, not by our statement of love. It is one thing to tell God how much we love Him; it is quite another thing to live in obedience to Him. Obedience is the measure of love. 

In Psalm 34:4 we read, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, He delivered me from all my fears.” Deliverance comes through seeking God, not necessarily from seeking deliverance. We find God in our obedience to Him. Therefore, if we are truly seeking God, we will live in obedience. David, in essence, is praying, “Deliver me on the basis of my obedience, which signifies my love for You.” The presence of God is our deliverance. 
 

The New Testament puts it this way, “God is love,” 1 John 4:8. Later, in that same chapter, John says, “But perfect love drives out all fear” 1 John 4:18. Perfect love (God) is what delivers us. It is our love relationship with God that delivers us from fear as well as from suffering. If we live in fear, it’s because our love relationship with God is not what it should be. We are not spending adequate time in His presence.
 

I encourage you to take some time to meditate on this verse, as you do; ask yourself how obedient you are to God.
 

Continued.