Comfort for the Sojourner

“Your statutes have been my songs
in the house of my sojourning.” Psalm 119.54

This fallen sphere is not our home. The psalmist knew this truth well. Repeatedly in Psalm 119 he refers to his life as a sojourner, wanderer, a temporary traveler. This is an apt description of every follower of God. As believers in Jesus Christ, we know that we are citizens of another world. We are members of a heavenly kingdom, longing for the day our future hope becomes our present reality.

Still, as the psalmist, we have joy in this world. We can take comfort and find joy—even singing—in knowing the Word of God and clinging to it. The psalmist’s song reveals his heart. He loves the law, and he’s committed to obeying it with all of his heart. A heart that is set on God, that clings to his Word, that is filled with righteous affections, a heart that is determined to obey God’s commands, is a joyful heart. His joy is driven by his love for the Lord and unaffected by the troubles of his earthly sojourning.

When trials come, when we face suffering, when the world assaults us wagging tongues and persecution, we can have joy. We can sing, rejoicing in the truth of God. Such joy sets us apart from the world and adorns the gospel we proclaim.

How is your joy today? Is your heart bursting with joy and singing? In what ways does God’s Word bring you comfort and joy? How does biblical truth affect your worship?

Gracious God and King, we long to be eternally in your presence, to escape this fallen world and live forever in the light of your glory. Give us strength and joy as we live as sojourners in this land. May your song ever be in our hearts and on our lips. Amen.

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