Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in His ways! You have commanded Your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping Your statues! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all Your commandments. I will praise You with an upright heart, when I learn Your righteous rules. I will keep Your statutes. Do not utterly forsake me! (Verses 1-8)
When I look at these words, I automatically recoil. I am not perfect. Even in the middle of the night last night I awoke wishing I hadn't done or said many of the things that took me two steps backward yesterday. Not the big stuff anymore, thank God. But I took my eyes off Him for a minute. Turned a page of my life and looked back, like Lot's wife. Heard my God say, "She who puts her hand to the plow and looks back isn't worthy of the kingdom of God." (Luke 9) It was a reminder, not a condemnation. But still. What is back there? Leeks and onions of my slavery. That's all. And it's an insult to God that any of us should desire anything from which He has delivered us. But I'm pretty sure I'll never be one of those "who do no wrong." As much as my heart wants to trust and completely obey, I know me. I'm going to slip up. I need grace!
So what do I do with this psalm today? How does it instruct my heart? This I do know. I love my God. With all my heart. I love Him imperfectly, but I can't breathe without Him. And I know I want with all my heart to always keep God's laws. To consistently have my eyes on Him, focusing there, where my life's fulfilled.
Jesus was walking along a dusty road with His disciples when one of them said, "I will follow You wherever You go!" Surely the man was overwhelmed by the nearness of Jesus, the miracles, the wisdom of His parables, the compassion that healed the sick and raised the dead. What it must've been like to touch His hand and hear His laugh. To feel the frothy waters of a quieted storm at sea drip from the man's face as he marveled that Jesus stopped even crashing waves. Out of the abundance of the man's admiration he exclaimed his pure devotion.
"Really?" Jesus stopped. Looked him in the eye. "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." It wouldn't be easy. No closure. Open ended days and nights that might look like they are pointlessly inane. Punctuated by praise or blasphemy. I have no specific place to be here on Earth, in other words. It's not My home.
Onto the road comes another man. Jesus sees something in him. Says, "Come. Follow Me."
But the man replies only that he must wait until his father dies. Then he'll have the freedom to follow God. I'll do it someday. Get my life right. Too busy just now. "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God!" The spiritually dead. They will lie in a heap. They have all decided to choose something instead of obedience to Me. Jesus knew a lame excuse when He heard it. The busyness of life trumping taking the road He chooses.
"I will follow You, Jesus!" Yet another awed by the Son of Man.
"Come, then!" Jesus waves the man over. Welcomes him into the group.
"Just one thing." The man looks back down the road from which he came. "I've gotta say good-bye to my family." Couldn't commit quite yet. Couldn't look Jesus in the eye. "I'll catch up later!"
Isn't it looking Jesus in the eye when we say we will follow Him that seals the deal? Focusing on the glance that waits to see if we really mean it? And He knew...back then...we didn't have it in us to be more than sandal-clad sojourners. Not without the Spirit. "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are doing."
The risen Jesus spoke to Peter and John in John 21. Told Peter how he'd die for his faith in Christ. "What about John?"
"Peter, if I let John live until I come again, what's that to you?" Eyes locked on the face of one who betrayed Him in frailer days. "You follow Me."
Our directive today. To love Jesus with all of our hearts and follow Him. He's not going to keep us from going to funerals or from saying our good-byes. But Jesus does demand that we don't do those things instead of following after Him and His precepts! I think that's why the psalmist ends this stanza with, "Don't utterly forsake me!" We aren't that good at following, though with all our hearts we want to be perfect! I am thankful today for this promise: "I will never leave you or forsake you (Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5)." Help me, Savior, to promise that to You in return!
When I look at these words, I automatically recoil. I am not perfect. Even in the middle of the night last night I awoke wishing I hadn't done or said many of the things that took me two steps backward yesterday. Not the big stuff anymore, thank God. But I took my eyes off Him for a minute. Turned a page of my life and looked back, like Lot's wife. Heard my God say, "She who puts her hand to the plow and looks back isn't worthy of the kingdom of God." (Luke 9) It was a reminder, not a condemnation. But still. What is back there? Leeks and onions of my slavery. That's all. And it's an insult to God that any of us should desire anything from which He has delivered us. But I'm pretty sure I'll never be one of those "who do no wrong." As much as my heart wants to trust and completely obey, I know me. I'm going to slip up. I need grace!
So what do I do with this psalm today? How does it instruct my heart? This I do know. I love my God. With all my heart. I love Him imperfectly, but I can't breathe without Him. And I know I want with all my heart to always keep God's laws. To consistently have my eyes on Him, focusing there, where my life's fulfilled.
Jesus was walking along a dusty road with His disciples when one of them said, "I will follow You wherever You go!" Surely the man was overwhelmed by the nearness of Jesus, the miracles, the wisdom of His parables, the compassion that healed the sick and raised the dead. What it must've been like to touch His hand and hear His laugh. To feel the frothy waters of a quieted storm at sea drip from the man's face as he marveled that Jesus stopped even crashing waves. Out of the abundance of the man's admiration he exclaimed his pure devotion.
"Really?" Jesus stopped. Looked him in the eye. "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." It wouldn't be easy. No closure. Open ended days and nights that might look like they are pointlessly inane. Punctuated by praise or blasphemy. I have no specific place to be here on Earth, in other words. It's not My home.
Onto the road comes another man. Jesus sees something in him. Says, "Come. Follow Me."
But the man replies only that he must wait until his father dies. Then he'll have the freedom to follow God. I'll do it someday. Get my life right. Too busy just now. "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God!" The spiritually dead. They will lie in a heap. They have all decided to choose something instead of obedience to Me. Jesus knew a lame excuse when He heard it. The busyness of life trumping taking the road He chooses.
"I will follow You, Jesus!" Yet another awed by the Son of Man.
"Come, then!" Jesus waves the man over. Welcomes him into the group.
"Just one thing." The man looks back down the road from which he came. "I've gotta say good-bye to my family." Couldn't commit quite yet. Couldn't look Jesus in the eye. "I'll catch up later!"
Isn't it looking Jesus in the eye when we say we will follow Him that seals the deal? Focusing on the glance that waits to see if we really mean it? And He knew...back then...we didn't have it in us to be more than sandal-clad sojourners. Not without the Spirit. "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are doing."
The risen Jesus spoke to Peter and John in John 21. Told Peter how he'd die for his faith in Christ. "What about John?"
"Peter, if I let John live until I come again, what's that to you?" Eyes locked on the face of one who betrayed Him in frailer days. "You follow Me."
Our directive today. To love Jesus with all of our hearts and follow Him. He's not going to keep us from going to funerals or from saying our good-byes. But Jesus does demand that we don't do those things instead of following after Him and His precepts! I think that's why the psalmist ends this stanza with, "Don't utterly forsake me!" We aren't that good at following, though with all our hearts we want to be perfect! I am thankful today for this promise: "I will never leave you or forsake you (Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5)." Help me, Savior, to promise that to You in return!
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