Verses 1-18
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The faithfulness of God is the highlight of this passage. We ought to speak of God's faithfulness often, and as a way of reminding ourselves of Him; and we ought to fear Him for His great power.
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God shows His faithfulness to us every day in His rule over creation (Psalm 119:89-90), orchestrating the earth, the sea, and everything in them.
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God also showed His faithfulness to David in making a covenant with him. In the same way, God has made promises to us. One of them is we will be saved and inherit eternal life through our faith in Christ (see notes on verses 19-37 for more details).
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Overall, take moments often to think and speak of God's faithfulness to you, as shown in creation and in Christ. This will bring you more joy and awe of God.
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Verses 14-18. When we know God's faithfulness, power, and perfect righteousness well, and we stay mindful of it, we will be strong and exceedingly joyful!
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Verses 19-37
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Now the psalmist gives more attention to the covenant that God made with David. Highlights of this passage, applied to our lives, are as follows. Remember these three things as assurance of God's faithfulness in your life!
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1. We have God's help and strength to defeat the enemy (verses 21-24) (Romans 16:19-20).
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2. We are given a father-child relationship with God (verse 26) (2 Corinthians 6:16-18).
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3. When we sin, there will be discipline that will help us grow, but we will always have God's mercy and forgiveness as well (verses 30-33) (Hebrews 12:5-11).
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Remember that correction for your sin is proof that you're a child of God who is learning to be holy as your Father, God, is holy!
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Verses 38-51
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This passage seems shocking. After learning so much about how God is so faithful, how could He suddenly forsake His favorable relationship with David and his descendants? Does this mean that we must fear being forsaken by God? Certainly not.
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Verse 46 notes that the people at this time were experiencing some of God's wrath for their sin, which made them feel forsaken, but there was hope.
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In verse 47, the psalmist prays that God would remember the brevity of man's life, and so allow him to experience some relief from wrath before his inevitable death.
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In verses 49-51 he prays that God would remember His promise to show kindness and not allow His enemies to insult Him.
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Ultimately, the psalmist's suffering caused him to pray to God to be redeemed from death, realizing that only God could save him. This was a good thing.
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We know from the biblical history of Israel and the line of David (of which this Psalm speaks), that God did not totally forsake them, but He did withdraw from them for a time so that they would learn to seek Him (Jeremiah is one prophet who tells the story).
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Overall, we learn from this Psalm that God is always faithful to us, but if we practice sin, God will allow us to suffer for it. When this happens, God has not totally forsaken us, but it might feel like He has. Ultimately, this turmoil teaches us to repent from our sin, so that our soul will be saved in the end (1 Corinthians 5:5, 11:32).
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Remember that sin will harm your sense of closeness with God. However, what you learn from the suffering of your mistakes can draw you back to God, so that you are closer to Him than ever. Suffering from sin serves a purpose! Just remember that God is faithful! If you repent, you can be close to God again!
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Verse 52
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When you're suffering the consequences of your sin, remember to praise God still! Don't think of Him as your enemy!