WHOSE TESTIMONY WILL YOU BELIEVE?
Some say that David wrote Psalm 119 to teach his son, Solomon, to love God’s Word, while at the same time, teaching him the Hebrew alphabet. For this beautiful ode to God’s Word is an acrostic poem, with each stanza beginning with one of the twenty-two Hebrew letters.
Yet certainly, he was teaching Solomon more than his “ABCs.” For in this verse, he wanted his son to learn the best way to respond when surrounded by persecutors and enemies. David taught him not to respond in kind, thus departing from the truth of God’s Word. When persecutors come, he challenged him not to turn from God’s “testimonies.”
Psalm 119 is like a thesaurus for God’s Word, calling it God’s law, statutes, precepts, judgments, commandments, and even “testimonies.” Those that would persecute and destroy have a “testimony” about you. They have a warped and worldly view of reality that they want you to believe about yourself and others. It’s filled with hate and racism, anger and revenge. David knew that testimony, but he had chosen to follow God’s testimony instead. And he wanted Solomon to do the same.
In this world filled with injustice and hate, whose testimony will you believe? Will you become like your persecutors, thinking to pay them back? If you do, then they have won. For you have become the very thing that they testified of you.
Instead, decide not to turn from God’s testimonies. His testimony is Good News. Decide to believe what God says about you and about your neighbor.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are so tempted to take revenge when we are hurt. We are filled with anger and hate. Teach us to focus on You. To follow Your testimonies. There is a right way to respond to persecution. We want to follow Your way. Send your reconciliation and revival to our land today. We are sick to our stomachs with this worldly strife. Strengthen us to be Your peacemakers. In Jesus’ name, amen.