Psalm 119:143 | “Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.”

Trouble and anguish surround the psalmist. There is external trouble as enemies oppose and persecute him. There is internal distress as the weight of suffering presses on his soul. He is not mildly inconvenienced but overwhelmed. Yet he is not undone. What sustains him in the midst of trouble is not a change in circumstances but a settled delight in God’s word. The Hebrew word translated as “delight” is shaashuim. This Hebrew word is only used nine times in the whole of Scripture, yet this is the fourth time it is used in Psalm 119 (see Psalm 119:24, 77, and 92 for previous uses). It speaks of that which gladdens the heart and brings joy. God’s word does not only instruct him. It strengthens him. Even while surrounded by anguish, the commandments become a source of joy that lifts him above despair. Spurgeon adds another dimension to this anguish. “The child of God can understand this enigma, for well he knows that while he is cast down on account of what he sees within himself he is all the more lifted up by what he sees in the word. He is delighted with the commandments, although he is troubled because he cannot perfectly obey them.” God’s word meets the believer in the middle of suffering and gives us a joy that even many troubles cannot steal.