Oh that my ways may be established to keep Your statutes!
Psalm 119:5
Notice that this verse changes to the first person. It is one thing to talk in generalities about God, His Word and our responsibility. It is an entirely different thing to consider these topics in relation to my own life.
It seems that most Christians know the basic instructions that God gives to His children. We understand how important God’s Word should be in our lives. We have heard the “Great Commission” hundreds of times and know God’s heart for the lost. We have heard often about the importance of prayer and meditation and serving in the church and loving our neighbor, etc. Knowing these things and being personally impacted by them are two very different things.
The psalmist’s prayer in verse 5 is not that he might find time to read the Bible. He is acutely aware of his own sinful tendencies, so his prayer has to do with obedience to the truth of God’s Word. He is not striving to read God’s Word because he is supposed to. He wants to know God’s Word so that he can walk faithfully in God’s ways.
The psalmist is determined, resolute, and unshakable in his desire and commitment to walk in conformity to the clear teaching of God’s Word. This is an every-moment-of-every-day commitment. It means waking up in the morning with God’s Word on our minds. It is considering every circumstance in my day as an opportunity to be obedient to the mission that God has called me to. It is recognizing that the business meeting, the trip to the grocery store, the unexpected call, the doctor’s appointment are all ministry opportunities.
The psalmist does not want to walk in his own way, accomplishing his own purposes. What a waste to get to the end of life with the knowledge of God’s ways and yet having lived a life that is all about going my own way.
- Consider your relationship to the Word of God. How would you rate it as a priority in your life?
- Consider how the Word of God impacts your life from the time you wake up in the morning until the time you close your eyes at night. Are you seeking to be established in God’s ways throughout the course of your day?
- What are specific things you can do that will help you be spiritually minded throughout the day?
