Scripture:
“I am your servant; give me understanding that I may know Your testimonies…Redeem me from man’s oppression that I may keep Your precepts…Trouble and anguish have found me out but Your commandments are my delight…Your testimonies are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live…I call to You; save me-that I may observe your testimonies…” (Excerpts from Ps 119: v5, v134, vs 143 and 144, v146)
Observation:
Taking a good, long, and hard look at Psalms 119 it appears that there is a correlation that slaps me across the cheeks: my desire and longing for Jesus is found and is fulfilled as a link to how much I long for and desire His Word. Do I seek His presence? If so, how much am I seeking His precepts, His law, His testimonies, etc.?
Application:
I have wondered recently if I have been focusing on “doing” stuff more than “seeking Him?”
This is what I mean: I enjoy the scriptures. I look for and seek understanding. I figure it supplies wisdom to me (which it does), perception (which it does), and discernment (which it does). So doing this tools me up to be an instrument in the Redeemer’s hands (stolen straight from the title of the book by Paul Tripp). What enjoying the scriptures also means is that it is getting closer, seeking Him, and taking wonder from His Word.
I am His servant, I ask intently for understanding that I may know His testimonies. I recognize I am redeemed from oppression to keep His precepts. In the midst of trouble and anguish…whoops there it is-His delightful commandments. I want life-His commandments and my desire for them are a must for life. I am saved so that I may observe His testimonies.
Testimonies, precepts, commandments, his law are all a part of God’s thoughts, objectives, goals, and direction. It is also without a doubt how to know Him who has saved me.
I realize that just “getting into the Word” isn’t all that is necessary. Seeking Jesus is cultivating longing for Him, waiting patiently and quietly for Him, cultivating a worshipful mind set and, while I am at it, singing intently (best to find good songs) to build up my soul.
There are 176 verses in Ps 119 that are just like or similar to the ones I wrote of today. Most, if not all, point me in the way of knowing my Lord and the way that He thinks through the Scriptures. Very cool. Note Deut 29:29 along the way…
Prayer:
Lord God, how I want to long for Your Word. I don’t really long for it all the time-I readily see that in myself. My goodness, if I improve my “longing factor” by 1%, maybe 2% I will figure I will be doing pretty well. Help me keep in mind that chipping away at this old crusty and stony heart will show the most improvement towards discipleship, not lamenting that I am not all there in one fell swoop and condemning myself in failure. Keep my eye focused on You, O God. AMEN.