Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight. Psalm 119:143
It is interesting how similar the two words at the beginning of this sentence, trouble, and anguish, are, not just in English but in Hebrew. Both speak to feeling constricted or pressured into a narrow space, implying that the enemy or outside influence created the circumstances. It could be emotional, literal, or both.
Notice that the Psalmist is making it clear that in such situations, God’s commandments bring not simply solace but comfort and joy.
Why would instructions provide such delight? The commandments embody a profound promise of relationship with God and neighbor. God promises to love and protect, and the people promise to love God back and honor and love one another; the foundation of the Judeo-Christian faith and life known as:
COVENANT
Jesus insists in this interview his teaching, mainly as he laid it out in the Sermon on the Mount. He doesn’t just call us to love God and our neighbor; he calls us to love ourselves, our persecutors, our oppressors, and our enemies. (See especially Matthew 5:38-48)
Difficult people and circumstances may hem you in, making you feel anguish and maybe even defeated. When this happens, remember that God has made a covenant of love with you, and your job is to keep that promise shine forth in your life!
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