Sermon Tone Analysis

Psalm 119:49-56

We ware in the seventh portion of Psalm 119.

Labeled with the Hebrew letter Zain.

Most of the time, I know, when we are in a trial, we focus our prayers mostly on delivering us from them.

There is nothing wrong with praying that way.

We see this in many of the Psalms.

However, God does not always see fit to remove us, or rescue us from the trial, but rather he helps us endure and make it through the trial.

The Psalmist was entangled in some situation that felt inescapable.

The Wicked were persecuting him to the point he was gripped by anger.

He had no other option than to endure the unfair persecution.

In this division of Psalm 119, the psalmist set a great example for us to follow when our only choice is to press on in the face of severe trials.

Here in this section we learn we are ...Comforted By God’s Word When We Read of His...

I. Promises

vs. 49-51

49 ZAIN.

Remember the word unto thy servant, Upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

50 This is my comfort in my affliction: For thy word hath quickened me.

51 The proud have had me greatly in derision: Yet have I not declined from thy law.

During a trial, if we will spend time in God’s Word, we can receive comfort by seeing God’s Promises throughout.

In these verses we see three fruit of seeking out God’s Promises.

A. Bring Encouragement

v. 49

49 ZAIN.

Remember the word unto thy servant, Upon which thou hast caused me to hope.

The Psalmist is asking God to remember his promises, and he says those promises have caused him to hope.

Many times when I am going through a trial, I pray God’s promises back to Him.

He doesn’t need help remembering, but It shows Him that I remember.

It shows Him where my heart is trusting.

Many times recently I have started fretting, but I stop myself and just say “God is in control!”

Just looking at Psalm 23 we see so much encouragement!

The Lord is my shepherd

That’s relationship!

I shall not want

That’s supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures

That’s rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters

That’s refreshment!

He restoreth my soul

That’s healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness

That’s guidance!

For His name’s sake

That’s purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

That’s challenge!

I will fear no evil

That’s assurance!

For thou art with me

That’s faithfulness!

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me

That’s shelter!

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies

That’s hope!

Thou anointest my head with oil

That’s consecration!

My cup runneth over

That’s abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life

That’s blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

That’s security!

For ever

That’s eternity!

Then in the next verse we see that reading God’s promises...

B. Bring Enlivenment

v. 50

50 This is my comfort in my affliction: For thy word hath quickened me.

He says, this is why I am comforted…God’s word has quickened me - has made me alive!

We are made a live again in Christ.

The world around us does not understand what it is to be alive, or to trust in something lasting!

Charles Spurgeon said, “The worldling clutches his money-bag, and says, “this is my comfort”; the spendthrift points to his gaiety and shouts, “this is my comfort”; the drunkard lifts his glass and sings, “this is my comfort”; but the man whose hope comes from God feels the life-giving power of the word of the Lord, and he testifies, “this is my comfort.”

And this comfort does not disappear in the morning with aching hand from the grip of the money-bag, or a headache from a drunken stupor, or a depleted checking account.

God’s comfort, not some cheap imitation is lasting!

So reading God’s Promises bring encouragement and Enlivenment, but it also is able to...

C. Bring Enablement

v. 51

51 The proud have had me greatly in derision: Yet have I not declined from thy law.

He says that the proud had me greatly in derision, that is contempt.

The proud never love gracious men.

So they ridicule them.

But even in the face of ridicule from the ungodly, the psalmist says that he did “not decline from thy law.”

They didn’t win!

He did not change his course.

He did not stop doing what he knew was right to do.

God’s word, and it’s promises, enabled him to keep going in the right path!

"In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10.

According to Leon Jaroff in Time, the satellite's primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to earth about Jupiter's magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere.

Scientists regarded this as a bold plan, for at that time no earth satellite had ever gone beyond Mars, and they feared the asteroid belt would destroy the satellite before it could reach its target.

"But Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much, much more.

Swinging past the giant planet in November 1973, Jupiter's immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system.

At one billion miles from the sun, Pioneer 10 passed Saturn.

At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus; Neptune at nearly three billion miles; Pluto at almost four billion miles.

By 1997, twenty-five years after its launch, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun.

"And despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth.

'Perhaps most remarkable,' writes Jaroff, 'those signals emanate from an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light, and takes more than nine hours to reach Earth.'

"The Little Satellite That Could was not qualified to do what it did.

Engineers designed Pioneer 10 with a useful life of just three years.

But it kept going and going.

By simple longevity, its tiny 8-watt transmitter radio accomplished more than anyone thought possible.