Psalms 119:33-48: a reflection

33Teach me, LORD, the way of your statutes. I will keep them to the end. 34Give me understanding, and I will keep your law. Yes, I will obey it with my whole heart. 35Direct me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in them. 36Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain. 37Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Revive me in your ways. 38Fulfill your promise to your servant, that you may be feared. 39Take away my disgrace that I dread, for your ordinances are good. 40Behold, I long for your precepts! Revive me in your righteousness. 41Let your loving kindness also come to me, LORD, your salvation, according to your word. 42So I will have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in your word. 43Don’t snatch the word of truth out of my mouth, for I put my hope in your ordinances. 44So I will obey your law continually, forever and ever. 45I will walk in liberty, for I have sought your precepts. 46I will also speak of your statutes before kings, and will not be disappointed. 47I will delight myself in your commandments, because I love them. 48I reach out my hands for your commandments, which I love. I will meditate on your statutes.

In this section of the great psalm about God's word, the psalmist prays not merely to keep the law by his own effort, but for God himself to teach him and give him a heart for it. Teach me, LORD, the way of your statutes, he prays; give me understanding, and I will keep your law. Turn my heart toward your statutes. He asks God to teach him, to give him understanding, to incline his heart toward the word, even to give him delight in it: I delight in your commandments, because I love them. The psalmist does not presume to master God's word by his own effort; he asks God to teach him, to give understanding, to turn his heart, to grant delight in the word.

Notice what the psalmist asks of God concerning the word: to teach him, give understanding, incline his heart, grant delight. He does not merely resolve to keep the law by his own strength; he asks God to teach him the way of the statutes, to give him the understanding to keep them, to turn his heart toward them and away from selfish gain. He asks even for delight in the word, love for it. The keeping of God's word, the understanding of it, the love and delight in it, are things he asks God to give, not things he presumes to produce by himself. He depends on God to teach him, to shape his heart toward the word, to give him love and delight in it. The word is learned and loved by God's help, not our effort alone.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can ask God himself to teach us his word and give us delight in it, not presuming to master it by our own effort. We can try to keep and understand God's word by our own strength, and find our hearts cold toward it; but the psalmist asked God to teach him, give understanding, turn his heart, grant delight in the word. The understanding and love of God's word are things to ask God for, not to produce by ourselves. Do not presume to master God's word by your own effort alone, or to manufacture your own delight in it; ask God to teach you, give understanding, and grant you love and delight in his word. Ask God himself to teach you his word, give you understanding, incline your heart toward it, and grant you delight in it, rather than presuming to master it by your own effort, as the psalmist prayed, teach me, give me understanding, turn my heart toward your statutes; for the understanding and love of God's word are gifts to ask of him, and we depend on God to teach us and give us delight in his word rather than producing it by ourselves.

Lord, in this section of the great psalm about your word, the psalmist prays not merely to keep the law by his own effort, but for you yourself to teach him and give him a heart for it. Teach me, LORD, the way of your statutes, he prays; give me understanding, and I will keep your law; turn my heart toward your statutes. He asks you to teach him, to give him understanding, to incline his heart toward the word, even to give him delight in it: I delight in your commandments, because I love them. Show me what the psalmist asks of you concerning the word: to teach him, give understanding, incline his heart, grant delight. He does not merely resolve to keep the law by his own strength; he asks you to teach him the way of the statutes, to give him understanding, to turn his heart toward them and away from selfish gain. He asks even for delight in the word, love for it. The keeping of your word, the understanding of it, the love and delight in it, are things he asks you to give. He depends on you to teach him, to shape his heart toward the word. Take that to my heart, for I can ask you yourself to teach me your word and give me delight in it, not presuming to master it by my own effort. I can try to keep and understand your word by my own strength, and find my heart cold toward it; but the psalmist asked you to teach him, give understanding, turn his heart, grant delight. Keep me from presuming to master your word by my own effort alone, or to manufacture my own delight in it; help me ask you to teach me, Lord, give me understanding, and grant me love and delight in your word, as the psalmist prayed, teach me, give me understanding, turn my heart toward your statutes.