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Long-Term Commitment (Psalm 119:44)

So I will keep Your law continually, forever and ever.
Psalm 119:44

The psalmist begins by stating his commitment to obey the truth of God’s word. To keep the law is to guard and watch it with the intent to conform one’s actions to it. Obedience to God’s word is evidence of true conversion.

You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them diligently. Oh that my ways may be established to keep Your statutes!
Psalm 119:4–5

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
1 John 2:3

“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
John 14:21

It is interesting that the psalmist defines the extent of his commitment. First, he commits to perpetual obedience. That is, he wants to be obedient every moment of every day. In other words, he wants to be spiritually alert so he does not miss any opportunities to demonstrate submission to God’s eternal purposes.

Secondly, the psalmist emphasizes that his commitment is for the duration of his life. There is no such thing as days off from Christian faithfulness. There is no retirement from spiritual priorities. Every day that we live is an opportunity for the Christian to faithfully serve the Lord.

As George Zemek puts it, “His sights are set high; perpetual fidelity is the bulls-eye of his target.”1

How do we live with such a perspective? Every day we must wake up with anticipation for the work that God intends to accomplish in and through our lives. While we plan our day (Proverbs 16:9), we must always remember that our plans must yield to God’s plans. Obedience to God’s word is to see people as God sees them and seek opportunities to serve God by serving others. It is essential that we understand the intentionality of God. Every circumstance of life is an opportunity to demonstrate our love for God through faithful obedience. We must think right if we are to live right!

 

1 George Zemek, The Word of God in the Child of God, p. 153

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Rocky Wyatt

Rocky Wyatt came to know the Lord as a young teenager and began working in youth ministry when in college. After serving in churches in Utah, California and Colorado, Rocky moved to Texas to serve as Youth Pastor at Countryside Bible Church. He served there for 26 years where he eventually moved from youth ministry to serve as an Associate Pastor.

Over the course of his ministry, Rocky has always had a desire to train men for pastoral ministry in the context of the local church. In 1992 he started XL Ministries, an organization that is committed to helping churches establish intensive internships for pastoral training. In 2020 he left his position at Countryside Bible Church to become the Executive Director of XL Ministries and now works full time assisting churches in training men for ministry.

He is co-author of The Youth Ministry Training Manual, a textbook for training youth pastors, and has also written multiple other resources for use in various local church ministries. He is currently working on a book to encourage churches to take the primary responsibility to train pastors.

Rocky is married to Pamela, has two sons and daughters-in-law, and ten grandchildren. 

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.1 Corinthians 15:58