Psalm 119:65-80 NKJV
ט TETH
65 You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68 You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
69 The proud have forged a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart.
70 Their heart is as fat as grease,
But I delight in Your law.
71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
72 The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.
י YOD
73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74 Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76 Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77 Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.
78 Let the proud be ashamed,
For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood;
But I will meditate on Your precepts.
79 Let those who fear You turn to me,
Those who know Your testimonies.
80 Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed.ט TETH
65 You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68 You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
69 The proud have forged a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart.
70 Their heart is as fat as grease,
But I delight in Your law.
71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
72 The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.
י YOD
73 Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74 Those who fear You will be glad when they see me,
Because I have hoped in Your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are right,
And that in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76 Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to Your word to Your servant.
77 Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live;
For Your law is my delight.
78 Let the proud be ashamed,
For they treated me wrongfully with falsehood;
But I will meditate on Your precepts.
79 Let those who fear You turn to me,
Those who know Your testimonies.
80 Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed.
Psalm 119 is a deep meditation on God’s Word, and in verses 65–80, the psalmist reflects on how God’s goodness and faithfulness are revealed—even through suffering. He begins with gratitude: “You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to your word” (v. 65). This isn’t blind optimism. It’s a confession of faith. God is good not because life is always easy, but because His Word is always true. The psalmist doesn’t deny hardship. In fact, he speaks plainly: “Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word” (v. 67), and “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes” (v. 71).
This is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian life: affliction, though painful, can be a gift. In suffering, God often strips away our pride and self-reliance, drawing us back to His promises. In Luther’s own theology, Anfechtung—spiritual struggle—was seen not as a sign of God’s absence, but as a tool God uses to drive us to Christ. The Christian life is marked by both cross and comfort. We do not seek suffering, but we trust that God is at work through it. The psalmist’s suffering did not destroy his faith—it deepened it. Why? Because the foundation was not his strength or virtue, but God’s Word.
As the reading concludes, the psalmist prays: “Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes, That I may not be ashamed.” This is our prayer, too—not that we would be perfect in ourselves, but that our hearts would be rooted in God’s Word and sustained by His grace. And in Christ, we are never put to shame. He took our shame upon Himself and clothed us with His righteousness. Let this be our comfort: God’s Word holds us fast, especially in affliction. He is faithful, and His promises never fail.
Let us pray: Gracious Lord, You are good and faithful in all Your ways. Even in our affliction, You are working for our good. Forgive us for the times we stray and resist Your will. Draw us back through Your Word, and teach us to delight in Your mercy. When trials come, help us to trust that You are refining us—not rejecting us. Let Your steadfast love be our comfort, and keep our hearts rooted in Christ, who bore our grief and conquered sin and death. In His holy name we pray. Amen.