Psalm 119:1-8
"Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me."
In verses 1-4, the psalmist proclaims the benefits, goodness, and rightness of obeying God's commands. In verse 5 he admits his failure in steadfastly obeying those same commands. Yet it is not with a hardened heart that he admits his sin, but with a broken one. He doesn't make excuses for his failings, but pleas for mercy and vows to overcome his failings- to continue to learn the Lord's laws and obey them.
How closely I can identify with these verses! How many times have I felt the shame of having sinned- again? How many times have I picked up the remote, talked on the phone, or otherwise whittled away time I might have spent studying God's Word? Yet how can I expect to obey commands which I have not commited to my heart and mind?
1 Comments:
"Yet how can I expect to obey commands which I have not commited to my heart and mind?"
These are very true words. I often find myself wishing I had spent my time, my day, my life worshiping and serving the Lord, yet I only seem to think about this as I go to bed just after spending hours doing something pointless and unproductive. When this happens I find myself unable to sleep untill I have done something meaningfull with my time. I'll turn to my bible or read something from the Kaleo website or even just write about issues on my mind on one of my own blogs. I'm not getting the sleep I should, but I can't sleep until I've put my mind on Christ in some way or another.
So...thank you. I need to remind myself, for who's glory do I exist. Am I serving like Christ did? Am I even living to satisfy my own desires or for what God requires of me?
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archshrk, at 7/31/2004 10:43 PM
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