Thoughts on Psalm 119:31

31 I cling to Your testimonies;

O Lord, do not put me to shame!

“Your testimonies.”

Isn’t that interesting? That God testifies? A testimony is a first hand account of an event, typically in a court of law. It’s basically saying, “I was there, I was a witness, and this is what I saw.” And this is what Jesus was saying when He said, “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” John 18:37

Now if you’ve ever watched five minutes of a Judge Judy episode, you’ll know that there are always two sides to the story.

And so it is in the courtroom of your soul.

On one side, the word of God is presenting you with evidence of what God has seen. Jesus takes the stand and bears witness to the truth.

And on the other side, the devil. He reminds you of how people have hurt you and of how you have failed. He says, “God is angry at you, that’s why these bad things are happening.” He throws symptoms of illness at your physical body. He even tries to use the Bible to reenforce his lies.

But God, in the Scripture, says to you:

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” says your God. ​​“Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned” Is 40:1-2

“With everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you” Is 54:8

“I have sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.

​​For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed,

​​But My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,”

​​Says the Lord, who has mercy on you. Is 54:9-10

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17

So then, which testimony are you going to believe? Which testimony are you going to listen to? And how do you know where to get God’s testimony?

All Scripture… is profitable...for reproof 2 Tim 3:16

That word “reproof” is unfamiliar - but that same word was used in one other place in the New Testament and it was translated “evidence.”

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1

So all Scripture - the entire Bible - is profitable, useful, helpful, for evidence of those things that you cannot see with your physical eyes, but are very real. They are the things that God sees, even if you can’t see them.

So let me encourage you to cling to His testimonies. Take this verse, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and write it down. Study it, memorize it, meditate on it. Look up the words you don’t understand. Take some effort to put these words in your heart and mind, and it will open wide the door to God’s testimonies.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:16-17

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.