50. Thy Word is my comfort, or the fact that thy words has brought quickening to me is my comfort. Or he means that the hope which God had given him was his comfort, for God had quickened him thereby. Whatever may be the exact sense, it is clear that the psalmist had affliction peculiar to himself—my affliction—that he had comfort in it specially his own—my comfort—and that he knew what the comfort was, and where it came from—this is my comfort. The man whose hope comes from God feels the life-giving power of the Word of the Lord. Comfort in affliction is like a lamp in a dark place. Some are unable to find comfort at such times, but it is not so with believers, for their Saviour has said to them, “I will not leave you comfortless.” God’s Word frequently comforts us by increasing the force of our inner life—thy word hath quickened me. Often the near way to consolation is sanctification and invigoration. If we cannot clear away the fog, it may be better to rise to a higher level, and so to get above it. Troubles which weigh us down while we are half dead become mere trifles when we are full of life. Thus have we often been raised in spirit by quickening grace, and the same thing will happen again, for the Comforter is still with us, the Consolation of Israel ever lives, and the very God of peace is evermore our Father. On looking back upon our past life there is one ground of comfort as to our state—the Word of God has made us alive, and kept us so. We were dead, but we are dead no longer. From this we gladly infer that if the Lord had meant to destroy he would not have quickened us. If we were only hypocrites worthy of derision, he would not have revived us by his grace. An experience of quickening is a fountain of good cheer.
See how this verse is turned into a prayer in verse 107. Experience teaches us how to pray, and furnishes arguments in prayer.
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