Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. I’ve
promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations. I
have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised. Lord, accept my offering of
praise, and teach me your regulations. My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your
instructions. The wicked have set their traps
for me, but I will not turn from your commandments. Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight. I
am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.
There is an expression most of us
have used when we recognize a truth we have learned and relearned, and want to
share: I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again! The Psalmist’s companion to that
is I’ve promised it once, and I’ll
promise it again….
One of the chief slams against “church”
is the repetitive nature of worship.
Songs, prayers, and all sorts of rituals are repeated. Even sermons (oh my!) are repeated. But, as always, when you examine the reason
behind the practice, you once again must conclude differently than first glance…the
repetition works! Consider the athelete
who gets up early every morning to hit the track, the gym, the road, the
punching bag, the batting cage, the tee box.
In every sport, business, human habit, or relationship, what we have
done before helps memory help us do it again…and better (hopefully).
Now, I’ve said this before, so I
have the memory bytes to say it again, what is true in the physical realm, is often reality in the spiritual
realm.
That is certainly not a stretch when comparing creating the memory of a
good golf swing, so you can repeat it the next time. The goal in golf is to have the same swing,
so you achieve a dependable, desired result.
The boxer slamming his fists into the workout dummy is teaching his body
how to use maximum force to damage his opponent. If it’s true that practice makes perfect, we understand the reason why school is important, and many hours in a flight
simulator is important, and why the discipline of a strong devotional life is
important…even listening to sermons.
Check that out in the Psalmist’s
life:
·
He Promised: I will obey your
righteous regulations.
·
He Prayed: I have suffered much,
O Lord; restore my life again as you promised.
·
He Praised: Lord, accept my offering of praise,
·
He Prepared: teach me your
regulations.
·
He Prospered:
Your laws are my treasure; they
are my heart’s delight.
And here’s the bottom line – in all
the repetition of the Scriptures, even in the monotony of the begets,
where you learn the unpronouncable names of obscure, ancient families, there is
deep wisdom to be had. But, as James
says, if you just glance at it, and never do the reps of committing it to memory, as
well as putting it in practice in your life by obeying the Word, it will pass
through your mind, and slip away like a fading mist.
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. James 1:22-24
God’s Word is like shampoo in that
sense; if you want it to do any good at all you’ve got to grab the bottle, pour it out, lather it
in good, rinse off anything leftover, and, (do I need to say it?)…repeat!
Let’s
Pray Together:
Father, when we get a little too bored with worship, help us to remember this image that our worship, study, and obedience, even in the small things, are like shampooing regularly; it may be tedious, but our lives will shine.
For You Today
When I preach a sermon, I preach it three
times:
·
I tell ‘em what I’m gonna tell ‘em…then…
·
I tell ‘em…then…
·
I tell ‘em what I tol’ ‘em!
Got
it? …. or should I repeat?
You
chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today.
Have a blessed day!
For
other posts on Psalm 119 see God's
Word; Light for My Path - Lamp for My Feet
and The
Light On My Path
