August 22 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Psalm 119:169–176

Devotional

Here we find a prayer for life. Pay proper attention to what the poet asks. He is not praying for marks or signs, for without life all these mean nothing to him. In this long psalm he states many matters. He shows precious spiritual and eternal truths. But at the end of this psalm he asks for life. All these valuable truths are nothing to him if he has no spiritual life. They are lifeless and powerless to him. It is as if at the end of this psalm he is saying, “All this does not help me, unless I receive life in my soul.”

God’s children often forget this prayer. In their foolishness they look for marks of life in their heart and want to store them so as to live by these signs. Yet there is really only one mark: life itself. The psalmist shows us the way, nearly pleading, “Ask greatly for life.” For with all we have, it will be of no benefit if our soul is without life. Just as a dead body cannot be fed, not even with the most nutritious food, neither can a dead soul be fed with the most precious truths.

That is why the poet asks for only one thing, and that is life. His prayer is already the evidence of life. It shows that he cannot live off of previous benefits. They are past and gone. He feels death within him. He cannot resuscitate himself. He cannot reason life into himself. After having stated all the blessed truths of Psalm 119, he still needs to have life. Otherwise there is no salvation. Without life everything is tasteless. You cannot create life; it is either present or not. It would do us well to stop speaking about our self-made life and lose it. We talk much of our self-made life as if it were real and uphold ourselves before man with artificial talk. The church of God struggles with the morbid condition of its own soul. The truth is it remains void of life unless it is given to them from above.

What happens when life is present in the soul? Then God is magnified. The poet says, “Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee.” Certainly, there is also a praising of God because of one’s own salvation, but ultimately spiritual life ends in God Himself. Life comes from God and returns to God. That will take place when life is reality. Living and praising will always come together. The latter will flow forth from the former. No matter how small this life may be, it will always praise God for His mercies. Recognizing our sinfulness causes us to praise God in His justice and holiness. True life will always bring honor to God.

In true life man will again focus on his Creator. To be spiritually dead means to be dead before God. But when life is in the soul, that person asks for God. He needs to be in God’s communion. He needs to be in His service and he desires to live according to His will. In all this God will be magnified. On seeing one’s own salvation there will be joy in the Lord. Life is present to glorify God. The Lord calls His people to glorify Him. Where there is no praising of God, there is no life. Let us then understand with this poet that above all things, we must ask for life.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.