Life in God’s righteousness
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Psalm 119:32-40
32. I will run in the way of thy commandments when thou enlargest my understanding! 33. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I will keep it to the end. 34. Give me understanding, that I may keep thy law and observe it with my whole heart. 35. Lead me in the path of thy commandments, for I delight in it. 36. Incline my heart to thy testimonies, and not to gain! 37. Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; and give me life in thy ways. 38. Confirm to thy servant thy promise, which is for those who fear thee. 39. Turn away the reproach which I dread; for thy ordinances are good. 40. Behold, I long for thy precepts; in thy righteousness give me life!
This psalmist sounds as if he’s in distress. We don’t know if he’s in physical danger, suffering from an illness, or other ailment or if it is spiritual in nature. I tend to think he’s struggling spiritually. I envision that his life is going along, pretty much same thing every day. It’s not a bad life, but it’s not that great, either. Not exactly boring, but not much new often enters into the daily grind. He seems to be struggling with that. He seems to sense that “something’s missing.”
We get so caught up in the day-in, day-out of our lives! We run to work, then to doctor appointments, kids’ sports, church meetings, or community activities, PTA and neighborhood association, or . . . we sit in front of the tv each night, trying to drown out the “nothingness” of our lives. And like I said, it’s not a bad life; it’s just not that great!
So this psalmist asks God to enlighten him. Give him a deeper, more personal understanding of what God intends for him. What should I be doing, Lord, to give my life more meaning? How can I get out of this rut I’m in? How can I grow closer to you? How can I stop focusing on myself and my own selfish desires and start really living?
It’s not easy to break out of the habits that have become our lives! We must be deliberate. We must recognize the emptiness—or at least the lack of fulfillment in our current existence. We need to recognize, as our psalmist does, that God is the only source of meaning for our lives. His laws, His Word, His way. No other. Read the bible, study the scripture, take a class at church – let go of some of the activities that don’t really contribute to the quality of your life. I have found that as I let go of some things—even things I “enjoy,” God brings me opportunities to do other things that are of greater importance and intrinsic value. Actually, I guess the opportunities were always there, but I just wasn’t available to recognize them or to take advantage of them.
So we need to stop and take an inventory of our lives. Really think about the value and the meaning of each activity and determine if participating in them is worth the time and energy expended. Or perhaps we’re doing nothing. And we need to decide to get back into life. Join the world – but not without arming ourselves with God’s word! Pick one thing, make one small change, and then another!
God wants to use us. If we’re too busy, or too distracted, or too “tuned out,” we’ll never hear Him. We’ll miss out on His plan for our joy and our peace and for meaning and purpose. Is there one thing you can let go of today? Is there one thing you can start doing that will draw you closer to God’s promise for salvation?
I hope you spend your day taking inventory of your life, asking God for direction and guidance on how He wants you to spend your time and energy.
Mary
