The Presence of Jesus in One’s Life – Psalm 119:129-136

פ PE [1]

“Your testimonies are wonderful. Therefore, my soul keeps them.” Psalm 119:129

God’s testimonies include raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, multiplying food for the hungry, defeating evil empires, delivering His servants from the mouths of lions, making the lame to walk again, care for the orphan and widow, creating the universe, sustaining the universe, and sending His Son into the world to pay the ransom for humanity’s salvation. God shares His testimonies with us because He loves us and wants us to know that He can help us.

It is one thing to hear God’s testimonies and it is another thing to be absolutely certain that they are true. In 1 Corinthians 2:14, God says, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Each of us needs the Holy Spirit to help us to understand and to believe the Word of God.

How do we know that what we read in the Bible applies to us? We know it by God’s Spirit. In Romans 8:16, God says, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” When we repent of our sins and surrender our life to Christ, He gives us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit affirms us. He tells us that all the promises of God apply to all who are in Christ.

In Romans 15:4, Paul testified, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

God gives us hope as we consider His testimonies. “Therefore,” as David wrote, “My soul keeps them.” [2]

“The entrance of Your Words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130

The purpose of God’s Word is to give us light. Without light we cannot see where we are going. Without light we cannot perceive what is going on around us. How often have individuals and entire nations been duped by liars who made great promises to them? People trusted, helped and supported them only to have them turn on them like brute beasts and tear them to pieces.

“The entrance of Your words gives light.” In the opening verses of the Bible, God tells us how the universe began—truths that people could never discover on their own. As soon as God’s Word enters our hearts and minds, it begins to bring light. The more we study it, the more clearly we see. [3]

God’s Word becomes even clearer when it is carefully explained and faithfully taught. In Nehemiah 8:8, it is written that the Levites, “Read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.” [4]

God’s Word “gives understanding to the simple.” God teaches and He gives understanding so that simple-minded people can comprehend what He is saying. Even those with little education or natural ability can understand the way of salvation because God makes it plain to them. The road to heaven is so clearly revealed in Scripture. Those who humbly trust God will see the way. [5]

“I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments.” Psalm 119:131

When a person is born of God’s Spirit, he or she experiences a deep hunger for God’s Word. Like a newborn baby craves milk! God encourages us to feed that thirst in 1 Peter 2:2: “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby.” I seldom ever read the Bible until I was born again. After Christ converted me, I could not get enough of the Bible, and I still read and enjoy it daily.

The Word of God teaches us the will of God. In Psalm 40:8, David wrote, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your Law is within my heart.” In Psalm 100:2, David wrote, “Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with singing.” When we see our life lining up with the Word of God, so that God’s Word is being incarnated or embodied in us, it yields great joy.

David opened his mouth, and panted like someone exhausted from the heat or struggling for breath longs for fresh air. His desire was strong, sincere, and wholehearted. [6] He thirsted for God as a thirsty deer pants for water.

“Look upon me and be merciful to me, as Your custom is toward those who love Your Name.” Psalm 119:132

David asked the Lord to look upon him with mercy. He wanted God to see his hunger and thirst for Him, and respond to his love by blessings him with those blessings “which eye has not seen, nor ear has heard” spoke of in 1 Corinthians 2:9. [7] Spiritual blessings!

“Direct my steps by Your Word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.” Psalm 119:133

David was as concerned about God’s work IN him as he was about God’s work THROUGH him. He prayed, “Direct my steps by Your Word.” He was asking God to direct every step he took according to His Word. Our thoughts, choices, and actions should not only avoid what God’s Word forbids but should also follow the way of life that His Word teaches us. [8]

David wanted to do as Romans 12:21 says to do: “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.” He wanted to do as Romans 6:13 urges us to do: “Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

When David prayed, “Let no iniquity have dominion over me,” he was asking God to keep him free from being enslaved by sin. The power and control of sin is something every believer should fear and resist. When we trust God’s promise for victory over sin as Romans 6:14 says, “Sin shall not have dominion over you.”

“Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep Your precepts.” Psalm 119:134

David prayed for redemption from the devil’s evil attacks.

After the devil attacked Job, his friends began to suggest that he must have done something very bad to incur such losses. In Job 19:23-27, Job exclaimed, “Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth, and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

Once, after I incurred a heart-breaking loss, God used the lyrics of a song entitled, “My Redeemer,” to help me express my heart-felt need for Him to heal me.

“Here I go again,
I’m thinking of the time when I will stand,
And look into the eyes of my Redeemer.
Words won’t come my way,
And deep inside my silent accolades,
I’ll find my voice to sing of my Redeemer.

And I know upon this earth I’ll never find,
The words that can express my heart of mine.

When with His words of light,
He spoke and pulled my dark soul from the night.
How can I repay my Redeemer?
With His wounded hands,
He held my broken heart to understand,
I never can repay my Redeemer.”

God used this song, and two other songs sung by Matthew Ward, “To the King” and “God Almighty,” [9] to heal my broken heart. The Lord helped me to focus on what I still had rather than what I loss. He made me stronger in new ways. He helped me to love again.

“Make Your face shine upon Your servant and teach me Your statutes.” Psalm 119:135

David often referred to himself as God’s servant. Seeing himself in such a low position before God, he desired God to patiently teach him (shine) so he could know how to serve Him best.

“Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep Your Law.” Psalm 119:136

A tender-heart is often accompanied by a tearful eye. This verse reflects the heart of Christ, who was described as “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” David’s sorrow was a godly sorrow. People were deliberately defying God. [10]

In Luke 23:24, while on the cross, Jesus prayed for sinners, saying, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” His heart was broken for them. They were filled with hatred not love.

The beauty on display in Psalm 119:129-136 is that of a heart that can hold both wonderment at God’s amazing testimonies and grief over the hatefulness of people, and still be okay thanks to the presence of Jesus in one’s life.


[1] From Googles sources and Bible Gateway: “Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem. It contains 176 verses divided into 22 sections, with each section named after one of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Instead of just one line per letter, all eight verses in a given section begin with that specific letter. For example, verses 129–136 start with the פ PE, and this exact pattern continues sequentially all the way through the final letter, Tau (ת).

פְּלָא֥וֹת עֵדְוֺתֶ֑יךָ עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן נְצָרָ֥תַם נַפְשִֽׁי׃
פֵּ֖תַח דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ יָאִ֗יר מֵבִ֥ין פְּתָיִֽים׃
פִּֽי־פָ֭עַרְתִּי וָאֶשְׁאָ֑פָה כִּ֖י לְמִצְוֺתֶ֣יךָ יָאָֽבְתִּי׃
פְּנֵה־אֵלַ֥י וְחָנֵּ֑נִי כְּ֝מִשְׁפָּ֗ט לְאֹהֲבֵ֥י שְׁמֶֽךָ׃
פְּ֭עָמַי הָכֵ֣ן בְּאִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ וְֽאַל־תַּשְׁלֶט־בִּ֥י כָל־אָֽוֶן׃
פְּ֭דֵנִי מֵעֹ֣שֶׁק אָדָ֑ם וְ֝אֶשְׁמְרָ֗ה פִּקּוּדֶֽיךָ׃
פָּ֭נֶיךָ הָאֵ֣ר בְּעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝לַמְּדֵ֗נִי אֶת־חֻקֶּֽיךָ׃
פַּלְגֵי־מַ֭יִם יָרְד֣וּ עֵינָ֑י עַ֝֗ל לֹא־שָׁמְר֥וּ תוֹרָתֶֽךָ׃

Historically, each letter name corresponds to a concrete object. Over time, these pictures evolved into the letters used today. For example, פ PE was originally the symbol for mouth.

[2-8] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary
[9] The three songs mentioned are on a CD entitled, “My Redeemer” by Matthew Ward
[10] Material developed, added to and edited from Matthew Henry’s Commentary