Psalm 119:156

Psalm 119:156 “Your compassion is great, O Lord; preserve my life according to Your laws.”
 

We gain our life through the law of God because of His compassion. Moses experienced this like no other person has. In Exodus 34 we read the account of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments. God has instructed Moses to chisel out two tablets and bring them to Him. “Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the Lord” Exodus 34:5. Then, He goes into great detail as to what His name means in verses 6-7, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” The truth is: All of these traits can be summed up in one word, mercy. The compassion (mercy) of God is great! 

Prior to this incident, Moses had witnessed God in great power. He watched Him part the Red Sea, destroy his enemies, and lead him through the wilderness by a cloud and a pillar of fire. Now as God calls Moses to the mountaintop, he stands in great reverence and fear as God reveals Himself to him. Much to his surprise, he finds that He is not an angry dictator but rather a loving compassionate, slow to anger, loving God. What a relief! What joy! To find out that God (who could have wiped him out with His breath) is full of mercy, must have caused Moses great pleasure.
 

We read of his reaction in verse 8, “Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.” What could be more appropriate than that? When Moses found out what the Lord’s names means, he bowed down and worshiped Him. Because His compassion is great, because He IS compassion; His laws life us. His law brings life to us.
 

Let me encourage you to take some time to meditate on this verse, as you do; worship your great, compassionate God.
 

Continued