Volunteer Resources

Lesson 18: Persistence in faith
 www.bible.com/bible/59/psa.119 

 ¹²⁹ Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.
¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.
¹³¹ I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.
¹³² Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name.
¹³³ Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
¹³⁴ Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts.
¹³⁵ Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.
¹³⁶ My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.
 
There comes a point in nearly every life when we begin to wonder if all our struggle has been worth it. Sometimes our hopes or dreams have not been fulfilled, or sometimes the struggle just seems to never end. This is the time in our life we must look more carefully at God with faith’s eyes open and clear.

These verses of today’s lesson do that with a persistence born of faith tried in the fires of what we have already learned about God. We have already seen how wonderful His word is – this alone is reason to keep trusting it (verse 129).

Through verses 130 and 131 we find this same persistence in remaining faithful no matter how we might feel.

Verses 132 and 133 add the plea for God to keep us faithful even when we might falter or slip because of our human weakness. We make the conscious choice not to give up on Him.

Verses 134 through 136 are acknowledgement to God of our desperate need for Him in this time, our great longing for His presence, and our deep pain for the many people around us we know who refuse to remain faithful to Him. Persistence has had its result in us – we are more determined than ever not to allow anything to remove us from His side.