Thoughts for the Day

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
and I will observe 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.
Turn my heart to your decrees,
and not to selfish gain.
Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;
give me life in your ways.
Confirm to your servant your promise,
which is for those who fear you.
Turn away the disgrace that I dread,
for your ordinances are good.
See, I have longed for your precepts;
in your righteousness give me life.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I was watching my grandson running around a pedestrian area in town as we walked casually along in the sunshine. However, as we returned to the car, automatically one of his parents held a hand out and just as casually he took it as they crossed the road in safety.

We have looked at Psalm 119, the greatest of all psalms many times, and seen its emphasis on God's Law, with its use of multiple words for 'Law'. In these five verses alone (of the 176 in the whole psalm) I can find six - statutes, law, commandments, decrees, ordinances, and precepts. But while this section (verses 33-40) emphasises the fact that we should follow God's laws, there is another phrase that speaks to me - that God will "lead me in the path" of His "commandments". In other words God will lead us where He wants us to go if we endeavour to obey His commands. If we let Him, He will gently take us by the hand and lead us forward, just as a parent leads a child across a road. It doesn't always mean we are safe, but it does mean we have committed ourselves to God's plans for the future.

For Christians, the Law that Jesus gave us is to "Love God and our neighbour as ourself" (Mark 12.30-31). Of course it really does help for us to stop running around on our own, doing our own thing as it were, and instead focus on God. Then, when we have done that we might see what our neighbour needs!

Lord God,
may we learn to turn to You
instead of running around meaninglessly,
and learn to let You guide us forward.
Then may we turn to the world around us
and focus our attention on other people,
to pass on Your love to them.
Amen.