Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes!
Psalm 119:5
TAKING IT IN
I love the Scriptures because they are real, true to life. God doesn’t give us perfect pictures of perfect people to live up to. Today’s verse speaks to a moment of truth in the psalmist’s life. Spurgeon gives great insight here:
This verse is a sigh of regret because the Psalmist feels that he has not kept the precepts diligently, it is a cry of weakness appealing for help to one who can aid, it is a request of bewilderment from one who has lost his way and would fain be directed in it, and it is a petition of faith from one who loves God and trusts in Him for grace.
Sound familiar? Are you feeling weak today? Have you experienced any melt downs lately? It has been that kind of a week for me.
We all have those moments of failure where we lost our temper or our selfishness won out, or we simply didn’t have it in us to forgive. These are the moments like the psalmist where we cry out “Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!” (NLT).
The sigh of the author is really a prayer uttered in a moment of weakness, acknowledging his need for help, recognizing his inability to keep God’s commandments, but desiring to walk in the ways God has prescribed. And the good news is that God is looking for us to keep it real; to be honest that we don’t have it all together and more importantly to admit our constant need for His grace and His strength. This very short prayer but honest cry of the heart is one God will answer.MAKING IT MEANINGFUL
When failure comes, and it will, we need to keep it real. Even though the writer of this Psalm is having a moment of weakness, there are three important things He knows that will ultimately bring him victory:
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He knows the ways of God and His ways are important to him
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He recognizes without God’s help, he cannot keep them
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He believes that God is interested and fully capable of answering His request
Read and write out on an index card Psalm 40:1-3. Keep it with you for moments of weakness until you can commit it to memory. It will be a great help to you in times of need and recognizing that it is God who will be faithful to help you carry out His commands.
WORKING IT INTO MY HEART
Look up the truths of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. God placed these truths in His Word knowing that we would need each other. Do you have a sister in Christ that you can be real with – someone you can call on the phone or meet with over a cup of coffee to share your struggles? How about a “battle buddy”, someone you can pray with when times get tough?
“Keeping it real“ will keep us walking in His Ways. We will recognize that without God’s help and grace we just can’t live this life. His strength will aid us in getting right back up again when we fall. With our friends there supporting us on the journey, nothing will be able to deter us!
