Proper Perspective

Can you think of someone present in your life (likely who doesn't know God), and you aren't sure how to respond to or handle him/her? You're coming from somewhere completely different, and that person's words and actions are stunningly contrary to God.

How do you deal with that? David gives the blueprint in the four verses from Ps. 119 we're looking at today. Prayer and perspective are the two keys. Remember, he had people in his life who disregarded God. They were in his face. He had to figure it out.

Psa 119:149 Hear my voice according unto thy lovingkindness: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment.	God's lovingkindess is his goodness and mercy toward us. It's who He said He is in Ex. 34:6-7. The words goodness and mercy used there are the same Hebrew word that is translated lovingkindness here. It's my favorite characteristic of God. Because He has promised to show lovingkindness, I can appeal to Him and ask Him to show me lovingkindess, and he does. I may not know what form it will take, but He will show it to me. Here, it's Hear my voice according to your lovingkindness.
(150)  They draw nigh that follow after mischief: they are far from thy law.	This verse explains why David needed God to hear his voice and to enliven him according to his judgment, or act of deciding a matter. Men were approaching David who paid no attention to God and who only followed after their own wicked devices. David needed to know how to handle that. More, he wanted to be enlivened as to how God would handle the matter.
(151)  Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth.	In a perplexed state regarding how to handle a person who is right there who disregards God, the consolation is that God is right there too. He is there, and all his commandments are truth. That's important, because that wicked person doesn't have truth. But we do. All His commandments are splayed out before us.
(152)  Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.	Acknowledge God's testimonies, or the stories in the Bible of how he handled people. That's what His testimonies are. "Oh, here's what you think of this and how you handled it." So the point is, I can get a solution by looking back at how God dealt with a similar situation. God founded those testimonies, and they are good forever. That is solid advice. "Lord, please show me today the testimony that goes with my situation."