Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
Psalm 119:33-35
Some mornings God is so clear in His word. It jumps out from the historical pages into my present life and is so crystal clear. This morning was one of those mornings. God was very clear, and I hope you will see the significance of His word. The Psalmist begins each verse with a plea towards God and then a promise to act on God’s provision. It could be no clearer.
God’s Word is Important
The Psalmist first begins with the plea for God to teach him the way of his statutes. He asks God to do something that we might often overlook. “God be my teacher. Teach me the way of Your rules, Your law, and Your word.” When we approach Scripture, do we look for God to teach us, or do we look for ways to justify our sins or selfish desires? I realize this is a hard pill to swallow but is it how we approach God’s word?
This first plea is interesting because the Psalmist understands that God’s word should be central. It is so important to know God’s word. While it isn’t always easy, it is always profitable. One principle that never fails is to understand that God’s word can never mean what it never meant. That means it had an original meaning for the reader, and that meaning doesn’t change. I don’t want to get too deep in the weeds, but it is essential to understand that God’s word means something extraordinary.
The meaning never changes. It doesn’t change because our circumstances or needs change. That’s the genius and comfort behind God’s word. It is a strong foundation.
God’s Word is Profitable
The first key to getting the most from God’s word is to comprehend the meaning of it. It’s not enough to just know God’s word; you have to understand it. That is wisdom. When you know it and have a deep and accurate understanding of it, it changes your life. I’m not kidding. It is life-changing.
But what is interesting about the word “observe” in verse 34 is that it means to conform your actions or practice to it. That means when we know God’s word and understand it, we can use the wisdom gained to conform our lives to what it says. God is so good to give us instructions for living. And we need them.
God’s Word is Leading
This last part is special to me. God says to “lead me.” The word “lead” means to cause to place the foot. The Psalmist is asking God to place his foot on the right path. That takes so much trust. It takes a tremendous amount of prayer and submission to allow God to place your feet on the right path.
Leading is not a picture of God out in front of you, and you follow Him. It is a picture of God walking beside you and placing your foot in its next place. Every step you take is important and critical to pleasing God.
And finally, the Psalmist discusses His attitude towards God’s words. He says that he delights in it. This means to take a high degree of pleasure from it. Do you have a Bible reading plan that takes you through the whole Bible in a year? If you do, maybe you don’t pleasure in it because you have to read a certain amount each day and aren’t able to digest its meaning and gain wisdom from it. Maybe you should take it slower. Allow God’s word to sink in and do its work in your life.
I have a simple question for you this morning. Do you delight in God’s word, or is it something you put on a shelf, desk, or end table to collect dust and only grab it when you face distress and despair?
Check out the following link for another similar post. Scripture is a Source of Strength