Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Gimel
Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word. Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. I am only a foreigner in the land. Don’t hide your commands from me! I am always overwhelmed with a desire for your regulations. You rebuke the arrogant; those who wander from your commands are cursed. Don’t let them scorn and insult me, for I have obeyed your laws. Even princes sit and speak against me, but I will meditate on your decrees. Your laws please me; they give me wise advice.
Daleth
I lie in the dust; revive me by your word. I told you my plans, and you answered. Now teach me your decrees. Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds. I weep with sorrow; encourage me by your word. Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations. I cling to your laws. Lord, don’t let me be put to shame! I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding. Psalm 119:17-32
I
recognize this prayer. I’m sorry
– Help me understand and obey – Teach me – I’m hanging by a thread – I’ll be
good! Sometimes I prayed because
I felt guilt, mostly my own; sometimes it was guilt someone laid at my feet. I never memorized it, but I have prayed every
bit of this prayer many times. And yet,
like Paul, an apostle with a thorn stuck in his side[2],
the pain keeps coming back.
Guilt is
like that; it drives you, compels you to the altar day and night.
King David
knew all about guilt and what it does to you:
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Psalm 32:3-4
Perhaps
you’ve seen a movie where guilt has eaten the insides of a murderer who
seemingly got away with his crime; he turns himself in to the authorities after
years. Or if he didn’t have that
courage, when justice uncovers his past the relief floods like a deluge. Or worse, if the crime isn’t uncovered by
someone else, the guilty one imposes the penalty himself, taking his life to
end the pain.
Guilt does
what God hardwired it to do in us…drive us to a confrontation with our
behavior. There are things we do (all of
us) that set off internal alarms which cannot be ignored; it’s like sticking your
finger in a live 220-volt outlet…your insides get fried! It’s like God is done whispering can
you hear me…NOW?
As we look
around at the angry behavior of our world there’s little doubt that underneath
all that rage brews a storm of guilt, shame, and total frustration over the
reality (conscious or just out of sight) that we offend God with our ways. That offense is at the point of the greatest
commandment, and its natural cousin, the second great commandment Jesus taught
his disciples:
“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40
Our
disconnect with this – no matter the provocation or circumstance of life – is what
causes our disconnect with Heaven…and the ensuing guilt that drives us to the
point of choice: we can either trust God
at His Word, confess our sin and obey both commands, or we can suffer the guilt
of a powerless life apart from the One who created us. That was King David’s conundrum…it was continuing
to live in his sin and pride or give it all up to discover real joy.
Here’s
what David chose:
Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! Psalm 32:2
For You Today
David chose honesty before God and discovered that path led to God cleaning-up
all the darkness of David’s inner life; so much better than living with guilt!
Go to VIDEO
[1]
Title Image: Pixabay.com Unless otherwise noted, Scripture used from
The
New Living Translation©
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