I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord, according to your word. (Ps. 119:107)
Expanded Passage: Psalm 119:105-112
Suffering is all around us. The loss of employment. Terminal illnesses. Natural disasters. The death of loved ones. If we aren’t experiencing hardship ourselves, we know someone who is.
The psalmist expresses that he has “suffered much” in Psalm 119:107. Yet, in the depths of his anguish, how did the psalmist overcome? The second half of the verse declares how his life would be preserved, “according to [God’s] word.”
God’s Word is consistent in the following themes found in Psalm 119:105–112:
PURE: The word is a light and a lamp (v. 105). Similarly, Jesus is the light of the world, the light that overcomes all darkness (John 1:1–5). This light is pure.
PRAY: Through supplication and intercession, and promises that are perpetually fulfilled, God’s strength gives us the way to follow in his righteousness (v. 106).
PROVISION: What do we humbly ask for and receive? In verses 108–109, as we praise the Lord with our mouth, we ask that he teach us, so we continue to remember his providential grace and mercies anew each day.
PURPOSE: Verse 110—Though the wicked have alternative purposes, our purpose can be to stay steadfast to the call of Christ.
PURSUIT: What is the joy of your heart (vv. 111–112)? Will you choose to set your heart on that which lasts to the very end?
Trust God in the middle of suffering.
Sarah Grace was discipled in The Wesleyan Church in the Western New York region. She enjoys camping, music, and being outdoors in all seasons.
© 2026 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
