Psalm 119:117

The next verse of Psalm 119 that we take up today makes the same request to God as was made in the previous verse.  Both the previous verse and today’s verse are a prayer to be upheld by the Lord.

Psalms 119:117  Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.

To hold someone up is the same as to uphold that person.  

The psalmist well understood that if he was going to be safe, he would need the Lord to hold him up, to preserve him in danger.  Scripture is very clear on this point.  Safety is of the Lord.

Psalms 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Psalms 33:16  There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.

17  An horse (or a cell phone, ed.) is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

18  Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

19  To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

Proverbs 21:31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.

We do well to constantly beg our God to hold us up that we may be safe because there are so many dangers in this fallen world and in our fallen nature, dangers we are aware of and dangers we are unaware of.  Often the greatest perils are not those we expect, but those that we do not expect.  The surprise attack is always the one we are most likely to be fall before because we did not see it coming.  How often have you succumbed to the unexpected temptation? Therefore, we need the Lord on our side looking out for us and holding us up if we are ever to be kept safe from evil. 

Attached to the psalmist’s prayer for safety is this resolve:  and I will have respect unto thy statutes continually.  To have respect unto God’s statutes is to give heed, attention, and consideration to them, to have them in view.  Notice that whenever the psalmist desires some blessing from the Lord for himself, like safety in this case, he wants that blessing so that he may serve God by keepings His commandments.  His whole life revolved around his Bible as well it ought since one’s fellowship with God is experienced through His word.  Yet, in order to maintain this respect for God’s statutes continually, we need the Lord to hold us up.  Otherwise, we shall slip and fall.

Psalms 17:5  Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

Psalms 94:17  Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

18    When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

Being held up by the Lord we will be able to keep God’s statutes continually and keeping God’s statutes continually we shall be safe.  As Charles Spurgeon wrote:  “In obedience is safety; in being held up is obedience.”

Proverbs 1:33  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

As we look back over our lives we find that it has been the Lord that has been holding us up all along, else we would never have made it this far.

Psalms 71:6  By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

So it is fitting from time to time to raise an Ebenezer and say, “Hitherto hath the LORD helped us” (1Samuel 7:12).  And looking out into the future we can be confident that the Lord will continue to hold us up so that we have nothing to fear come what may.

Psalms 73:23  Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.

24    Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

We need but to trust the Lord’s hand to hold us up and we shall be safe.

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

I close with a stanza from the hymn Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

Here I’ll raise my Ebenezer,

Hither by Thy help I’m come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to save my soul from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.