Scripture: Psalm
119:33-40
This part of Psalm 119 is the He[1]
portion, meaning that all the verses begin with the letter He in the original Hebrew. As the psalm is written in works through
a series of eight verse segments, with each verse in the segment beginning with
the verse letter, covering all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The general
theme of the psalm focuses on a life that is devoted to learning and loving
God’s Word and living according to it. It is also a model of meditation on God’s
Word. This segment asks God to work in the life of the psalmist to help him to
know God’s Word in all its facets, and leads us to ask for the same in our own
lives.
Teaching
Look at the way the psalmist prays: teach me, give me understanding, lead me, incline my heart, turn my
eyes, confirm your promise. Each of these asks God to help the psalmist
receive the Word of God so that he can keep, observe, delight in it, and have
life because of it. There is urgent humility in these words. The psalmist depends
upon God because the things of God cannot be grasped by the sinful mind, but God
promises to make himself known through his Word so the psalmist cries out for
God himself to teach him.
Why does the psalmist long for God’s instruction? The answer
is in v. 39. He dreads reproach. This reproach is the reproach of sin in which
people are condemned and rejected, sent away from God’s presence, because of
their rebellion against God and the rejection of his Word. The psalmist knows
his sin. He knows he deserves reproach, but he also knows God’s promise of
mercy and forgiveness which transforms his life and causes him to long for God’s
Word.
Life
This is a prayer moved by a heart of faith. Does it make you
uncomfortable? Does it challenge you? Does it speak to your heart in a way that
you respond with a resounding, “amen,” declaring your desire to echo this
prayer for yourself? In any case, God gives us this prayer to teach us how to
pray and what to pray for. We ask for God to teach us, and the Holy Spirit does
exactly that.
Martin Luther once wrote about reading God’s Word saying, “The
Holy Spirit himself preaches here, and one word of his sermon is far better
than a thousand of our prayers.”[2]
What is the Spirit teaching you here about God’s statutes, law, commandments,
testimonies, ways, rules, precepts, and promise? How would he have you regard
God’s Word? How might they impact you? (See verses 37 & 40!)
Prayer
Use Psalm 119:33-40 to guide you prayer today. You might
even want to use the psalm itself as a prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you
the gifts described in the psalm, and ask for a hearing heart to receive God’s
Word in a way that affects you in a way to make you more Christ-like.
Comments