Dear Church of the Open Bible,
Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise,
that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread,
for your rules are good. BEHOLD, I long for your precepts;
in your righteousness give me life!
Psalm 119:33-40
Recently in the new year I have been reading through Psalm 119. This is a very intimate and relational book that points us to the deep heart of the writer and his relationship with God and God's commandments. Take note of the first 7 verbs; we do not know what situation that this is being written in, but we do know that the writer is longing to specifically seek after God's word. “Statutes”, “law”, “commandments”, “testimonies”, “precepts”, all these words show us that the reader is longing for a deeper love for God's word and God himself. Finally in the end, we have the word “behold”. No longer is there a verb asking God for something but a statement. The psalmist started in prayer seeking God and in the end, he found what he was looking for. So often we can neglect prayer in our life, or seeking God's presence, but as we pray God is listening and working just like He did for the psalmist. Therefore, today let us have this in mind as we search the Scriptures and pray, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Amen.