Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.—Psalm 119:17
I went about my evening last night thinking on this verse and praying that the Spirit would help me to understand its meaning. Before I went to bed, I looked up some cross reference verses. As I read them the Spirit enlightened my eyes and confirmed what I had been thinking.
David prays here for God to deal bountifully with Him…according to His goodness and not according to his merit. This is such a good prayer. Beloved…in truth, unless the Lord deals bountifully with us…there is nothing…not one thing we can do in our own strength to serve the Lord. We cannot even take our next breath unless His grace makes it possible.
Without His mighty life sustaining grace, we are dead in our trespasses and sin. It is His grace that saved us. It is grace that preserves us. It is His grace that enables us to obey Him and it is…as the song says…His grace that leads us home.
I was comforted as I went to sleep. David’s words reminded me of what my heart already knows. There is nothing good in me. Anything that is good is of God and not of me. I AM NOT sufficient for this life. I was not meant to be My God, however, who lives in me, is. As I surrender to His gracious Spirit, I am filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, (not by me) to the glory and praise of my God. I can return to my rest because He has dealt bountifully with me! It is God who works in me both to do and to will for His good pleasure. He will complete the good work He began in me. I just need to surrender and let Him do it.
And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
Words: John Newton (1779)
