LEARNING DAILY

Psalm 119:1-8, Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths. You have charged us to keep Your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees! Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank You by living as I should! I will obey Your decrees. Please do not give up on me! (NLT)

From the very beginning of this psalm, God is making it clear blessings, fulfillment, and satisfaction come from reading/studying/meditating on His Word and being obedient to it. The opposite of this is walking in sin which leads to destruction and to death. Those who “follow the instructions of the Lord” are considered blessed or happy by the psalmist. Living this way is considered to be boring by many people today. I guess the idea of fun must include something unclean or immoral or it is boring.

Have you taken the time to consider the blessing that God has poured out in your life because you have chosen to walk the narrow way with Him. Have you grown spiritually or to be more like Jesus in your life? Has your language, thoughts and actions cleaned up because you take the time to be in God’s Word? Those are wonderful blessings God has blessed you with. Let this be a reminder to continue to deepen your knowledge of who God is and the changes he brings in you as you walk daily in His Word and strive to be obedient to it.

“You have charged us to keep Your commandments carefully.” There is an emphasis on the divine authority of God’s instructions; they are not suggestions but commands that he expects to be followed diligently. God not only wants those who follow Him to seek Him with a whole heart, He charges or commands them to follow what He has said in His Word. He has established what He expects from Believers as they walk and stay on the narrow way. Jesus said this way is difficult as many will try to get you off the narrow way. There will be difficulties, trials, tribulations along the way to God’s kingdom. Yet, there is much encouragement and blessings when one chooses to live their life according to God’s Word; there is life free from doing wrong and filled with righteousness. Proverbs 3:6, “Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”  God wants to guide us in the decisions we make in life. If only Believers take the time to consult Him, He would not only guide them, but He would also remove obstacles that would prevent them from achieving His will.

 “Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect Your decrees.” The Psalmist acknowledges the human difficulty in following God’s righteous ways, walking the narrow way. Every Believer knows that sense of failing God; striving to be like Jesus seems to be tested many times each day. Failure occurs and 1 John 1:9 must be remembered. This failure is a reminder for each Believer striving for perfection, it is only through God’s grace and strength that one can walk the narrow way blameless.

“As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank You by living as I should! I will obey Your decrees. Please do not give up on me!” Other versions conclude this first section of Psalm 119 by expressing praise with sincerity and gratitude. This praise given is not just a response to God’s goodness. It is a deliberate choice to worship and be obedient to God. It is an acknowledgement that blessings come through reading/studying/meditating on God’s Word and then being obedient to it.

I believe this is that God’s desire for His people has always been to live in righteousness, seek His guidance, and to worship Him with their whole heart. “The heart that sings, ‘Please do not give up on me!’ is a heart that desires to be close to God” (David Guzik). I have written it before – I am so glad God never gave up on me!