Gospel Reflections #1196: Not just for personal benefit

Psalm 119:145 ‘With all my heart I call upon you; O Lord, answer me; I keep your commandments.’

This scripture expresses the earnest prayer and resolve of a believer who, even in the midst of suffering and persecution, ‘calls upon God with all their heart and steadfastly keeps God’s commandments (His Word)’.

‘With all my heart’ means not a mere formal prayer, but a heartfelt cry for help, pouring out one’s entire being and emotions to God.

David was facing persecution and tribulation; in a situation beyond human control, he looked to God alone.

The plea ‘Answer me’ is imbued with a strong trust that God will hear his cry and will surely respond.

Together with the words in verse 147, ‘I rise before dawn to cry out to you’, this emphasises an attitude of earnestly awaiting God’s response. Immediately following the plea ‘Answer me’ comes the resolution: ‘I will keep your commandments’. Rather than seeking salvation from God merely as a personal benefit, he seeks to deepen his fellowship with God through a life of continual obedience to His Word.

Prayer is not merely a matter of conveying one’s own wishes to God; seeking God’s will, listening to His word and obeying it is also a vital part of our fellowship with Him.

To hear God’s word is not merely to know its content, but to trust in that word and to accept that one will be transformed by it.

Our God has spoken to us time and again throughout history.

And even now, He continues to speak to us through the Bible.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.