Learning the Way
Larry Garber
Make me go in the path of your commandments,
for that is my desire. Psalm 119:35.
Turn away the reproach which I dread
because your judgments are good. Psalm 119:39.
During my youth I learned that the psalms were often viewed as songs, although at that time these were not sung in my church. I also learned that Psalm 119 had the most verses and that this chapter was longer than some of the shorter books of the Bible. I was amazed that someone could write such a lengthy piece of poetry. Truly, the writer was inspired by God.
In verses 33 to 40 of Psalm 119 the writer is appealing for help from God. The writer requests God, our Lord, to teach us about his statues, his law, his commandments, his decrees. More importantly, the writer is promising to follow the teachings of God and wishes to do so. If successful, the writer hopes to experience God’s approval (v. 39).
Today as we read these verses, the Holy Spirit is reminding us to want to continue to learn about, to follow, and to obey the teachings of God. And to assist us in learning about the teachings of God, we are encouraged to read the scriptures, to pray, and to listen and read messages provided to us by our pastors and other leaders of our Christian faith. We learn by participating in conversation with others who profess our faith as well. The acts of reading, listening, praying, thinking, and conversing make us realize that we are not always successful in following and obeying God’s teachings. We recognize we are sinners.
As Christians, we ask God “for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ” for forgiveness of our sin. During this season of Lent, may we focus on the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior for us. It is a result of his dying on the cross and subsequent resurrection that we will experience eternal life.
May we continue our life’s journey of learning about and listening to God’s teachings. May we ask God for forgiveness of our sin. Amen
Encounters With Christ 