This is The Way – Devo Day 15

He – Psalm 119:33-40

33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
38 Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared.
39 Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.
40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!

Psalm 119:33–40 (ESV)

The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is “he”. It is used at the beginning of a verb to make it causative. So the prayers in this stanza literally sound like, “cause me to learn”, “cause me to follow”, “cause my heart to incline toward”, and “cause my eyes to look away.” It is clear that the psalmist not only wants the Lord’s help but as we hear in these verses that he has little hope of succeeding without God’s help. This is a transformed heart crying out to God.

Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.

Psalm 119:33 (ESV)

The psalmist is not only declaring his desire to follow God’s way but that he also desires to keep it all the remaining days of his life. This goes beyond just guidance it is clear that he is imploring God to help him realize his desire. Only a God-changed heart can pray this. Left to himself, he knows he is unable to keep the way and word of God (much less keep it to the end). Philippians 2:13 tells us that it is “God’s work in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Here the Psalmist prays as one who has received God’s will, and now prays for the doing of it.

Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.

Pslam 119:34 (ESV)

Without understanding the psalmist knows he could not successfully act on the desire of his transformed heart. Understanding is important if we are to delight in God’s Word, for the Word to be transformative to the human heart, and if we are to be able to even know God’s way.

Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.

Psalm 119:35 (ESV)

We need no instruction in the way of sin, in the way of self-satisfaction, and in the way of pride and envy. The psalmist knows that in spite of his heart’s desire to do the will of God, adhere to the Word of God, and to walk in God’s way, he knows he cannot walk God’s path without God’s empowering.

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.

Psalm 119:36-37 (ESV)

The psalmist understands what Jesus declared in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Our hearts are inclined to what we treasure and what we delight in. He understands that covetousness is a barrier to walking in God’s way and that a heart inclined toward God’s Word would help him be content with what God has provided.

He also understands that the “lust of the eyes” can easily focus on the worthless things of the world that have no value for eternity and even little value in this present age and is praying that God will help him to turn away from such things and focus on what is God values.

Things are worthless that do no good, do not last, help no one else, do not build faith, hope, or love, or distract from things that are godly and truly worthy. The psalmist prays that God will revive his heart, give him life and establish his way.

Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.

Psalm 119:38-39 (ESV)

This is a clear reference to the covenant relationship between God and His people. But the psalmist is not asking for God to change to reestablish His “promise” but rather that the psalmist’s heart and mind to be aligned with God’s Word. He is also asking that his disgrace before others (reproach) would be mercifully turned away by God so that God’s Word would not only be known but feared. He doesn’t want anything in his life to detract from the Word of God speaking to others.

Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life! – This is The Way

Psalm 119:40 (ESV)

This stanza’s plea for God’s guidance and empowering presence finishes with the psalmist’s prayer delighting in God’s Word (your precepts) and asks again for revival, to be made alive in the righteousness of God.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. What “worthless” things do you need to remove from your life or remove from your gaze and heart’s desire?
2. How might God’s Word and God’s way be established or reinforced in your heart and mind?
3. In what areas do you need the Spirit of God and the living Word to help you live in the righteousness of God? Is that your plea before God?

IF YOU ARE JUST STARTING AND WANT TO GO BACK AND READ THE PREVIOUS POSTS IN THIS SERIES