Reading through this section of Psalm 119 stirs in my heart a spark of true joy. Some days everything seems difficult, complicated, and overwhelming. The beauty of life in this broken world is the knowledge that the Lord is my portion and I can trust in His promises and commands. His goodness and love are all around me and even when I’m dealing with difficulty, I can joyfully live in obedience. The key word, is “can.” I know that I can trust, I can learn, I can rejoice, and I can be obedient. However, I must make the choice to be intentional in the ways that I live and in seeking the Lord’s guidance. Good intentions are nothing without action. The psalmist speaks here of the actions he’s taken in following God. How he has sought, praised, and followed Him. It causes me to ponder the actions I take daily. I’ve too often excused my lack of action with my good intentions or the thought that things were just too complicated. The truth of the matter is, that I was not trusting in the Lord as my portion, but rather trusting in my own abilities and desires. This may lead to temporary satisfaction but never to the true joy that comes from living every moment for Him.
The psalmist also spends time in this passage crying out to the Lord to provide him with knowledge and good judgement and to teach him even through afflictions. In addition to being intentional in my trust and obedience, I have to be teachable. God’s goodness and law can bring affliction at times, however, that affliction is good. It leads to growth in my relationship with Him and in my knowledge and understanding.
My prayer is that our hearts will realize the pure beauty of being able to trust in the Lord and having the knowledge that He is enough! May we live intentionally for His glory, taking time to seek His guidance, question our motives, and live in joyful obedience! May we have pliable, teachable hearts that are willing to grow and learn through times of affliction! May we praise His name and rejoice in His great wisdom!
VC Devotionals 