The Ups and the Downs

In the four verses we are looking at from Ps. 119 today, it's interesting that the first and third verses, David talks about what a mess he is, and in the second and fourth verses, he focuses on God's righteousness. There is a huge salvation lesson in that, because we all have challenging times mentally, emotionally and spiritually, but if we know Jesus as savior, his righteousness is put to our account, and our disposition swings don't matter so much. But I get ahead of myself. We have great verses to look at today.

Ps. 119: 141  I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.	David is self-depreciating. Is that a good thing? I have thoughts on that, but I'd be interested in knowing others' thoughts. At any rate, while he didn't think much of himself at the time, David thought highly of God's precepts (codes of wisdom and principles to live by) all of the time.
(142)  Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.	What is lasting? So many things are fleeting, including positive thoughts about myself. God's righteousness is everlasting. It's a good thing, because I have God's righteousness, which was put to my account in exchange for my sins when I accepted Christ as my savior on Sept. 23, 1972. That righteousness is everlasting, and it needs to be in order for me to be accepted by God. And here's another question. What is the truth? It's not up to individuals to decide that. God's law is the truth. And by the way, it is the law that condemns me and tells me I'm not righteous in myself. When I agree that his law is the truth, and I don't keep the law, then I need to have his righteousness put to my account, because I'm not righteous in myself.
(143)  Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.	In this life, I still have trouble and anguish, just like David, who really had trouble and anguish. After all, I've never had someone hunt me down and try to kill me like David did. But he managed to find delight, not in his circumstances, but in God's commandments. That's remarkable to me, because the parts of God's word that I find delight in aren't his commandments. Maybe his testimonies, but his commandments? I'll have to talk to David when I get to heaven and ask him about that.
(144)  The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.	Ah. Here David goes to the part of God's word that I easily go to… his righteous testimonies. The way God dealt with people in the Old Testament is a testimony of God's righteousness that I can see. It's a great idea to pray for understanding as I read his testimonies. I want to learn the lessons, which are like jewels to be found and treasured.