Psalm 119 Vs 81-88

Kaph

A Bible Devotion from Psalm 119 Vs 81-88

Wineskin in the Smoke

81 My soul longs for your salvation;
I hope in your word.

82 My eyes long for your promise;
I ask, When will you comfort me?

83 For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
yet I have not forgotten your statutes.

84 How long must your servant endure?
When will you judge those who persecute me?

85 The insolent have dug pitfalls for me;
they do not live according to your law.

86 All your commandments are sure;
they persecute me with falsehood; help me!

87 They have almost made an end of me on earth,
but I have not forsaken your precepts.

88 In your steadfast love give me life,
that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.

Psalm 119 Vs 81-88, NKJV

One of the great blessings of Psalm 119 is that we find the Psalmist's reaction to God's Law in all circumstances of life. In this octet Psalm 119 Vs 81-88 we find the Psalmist at his darkest hour.

We've all been there; we know exactly how he feels. Everything seems to come crashing down all around us; no matter what direction we look life feels completely hopeless. Look at verse 83: I have become like a wineskin in the smoke. When wine skins were emptied, they were hung up to dry; if the air was filled with smoke the skins would become black and wrinkled (or dried and shriveled).

Yet, even in this dark hour the Psalmist turns to the only comfort he has: God's Word. One mistake that is commonly made in the Christian life is to think that no more sorrows or discouragements will come now that I'm a Christian. Just a cursory look at the Bible reveals that the men of the Bible suffered under severe and difficult circumstances. Joseph in the Old Testament was imprisoned; Jeremiah the prophet was lowered until he was sunk into the mud; most of the disciples in the New Testament were beaten, imprisoned, and martyred because of their faith in Christ; and the list goes on.

Comfort, therefore, is not always found in the circumstances of life. The Bible, however, is always there. Verses 81-88 of the 119th Psalm begin and end with that hope. My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word (verse 81). In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth (verse 88).

Pray that God would give you a deep love of His Word and that you will find comfort and solace from it when the difficult times come as did the Psalmist in Psalm 119 Verses 81-88.

Next: Psalm 119 Vs 89-96 - By Your Precepts You Have Given Me Life

More Devotions on the 119th Psalm Vs 81-88 from my blog, Daily Bible Devotions.

Wineskin in Smoke, verses 81-84

Quicken Me, verses 85-88