Slices
Prepare
Read 2 Timothy 4:7. Thank God for people you know who have ‘run well’.
Bible passage
ד Daleth
25 I am laid low in the dust;
preserve my life according to your word.
26 I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;
teach me your decrees.
27 Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,
that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.
28 My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.
29 Keep me from deceitful ways;
be gracious to me and teach me your law.
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I have set my heart on your laws.
31 I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;
do not let me be put to shame.
32 I run in the path of your commands,
for you have broadened my understanding.
ה He
33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart towards your statutes
and not towards selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfil your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
ו Waw
41 May your unfailing love come to me, Lord,
your salvation, according to your promise;
42 then I can answer anyone who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws.
44 I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
46 I will speak of your statutes before kings
and will not be put to shame,
47 for I delight in your commands
because I love them.
48 I reach out for your commands, which I love,
that I may meditate on your decrees.
Explore
This remarkable psalm seems to say the same thing again and again. The psalmist wants his life to be shaped by the will of God: to run ‘in the way of your commands’ (vs 32,35). But this is a long trail. We hear the same rhythmic prayer, like footsteps, but the terrain constantly changes.
In these sections, the psalmist is ‘laid low in the dust’ (v 25). He is ‘weary with sorrow’ (v 28). He senses that he could be in mortal, or spiritual, danger and cries out, ‘… preserve my life …’ (vs 25,37).
The challenges of the spiritual life are not constant. They change with circumstances and age. Here, the psalmist is conscious of his susceptibility to deceit and temptation (vs 29,36,37).
Athletes break down their races into stages, even a 100-metre sprint that lasts only 10 seconds. Maybe we need to pay more attention to the stage of the ‘race’ or ‘walk’ of our spiritual life. Yes, we want to keep putting one foot in front of the other, seeking to be shaped by his will. But what is this particular season about? What does faithfulness look like in this stage of my life?
Respond
‘As we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love’ (Prologue, Rule of St Benedict). Make these words a prayer for this stage of your life.
Deeper Bible study
‘I lay in dust, life’s glory dead, / and from the ground there blossoms red / life that shall endless be.’1
The young man of the psalm is weighed down by his past. He knows he has failed to keep God’s Law. He has been formed by his upbringing, his religion and his culture, all of which have combined to reinforce the one creed. The way to gain God’s favour, and therefore his blessing, his care and protection, is by obedience to God’s Law. He feels that he has let himself down and let God down: ‘I am laid low in the dust’ (v 25). However, his God – and our God – has always been a forgiving God. Although this was supremely demonstrated in the sacrificial death of Christ, this young man already knew he could be forgiven. He would need to bring a sin offering to be sacrificed at the Temple and, if he was truly penitent, God, who knows the heart, would forgive him and he could once again devote himself to obeying God’s Law.
The young man understood his own weakness. He knew that without God’s help, he was incapable of obeying God. He confessed his sinful past and then, with prayer after prayer, supplication after supplication, he entreated God to help him obey: ‘Teach me … Give me understanding … Direct me … Turn my heart … Turn my eyes …’ (vs 33–37). These must be our constant prayers, too – not that God will turn us towards the Law but that God will turn us towards Jesus. The young man didn’t know that the ultimate sacrifice would one day be paid. It would be so perfect, so all-embracing, that the sacrifice for the living would be sufficient also for the dead: ‘… only together with us would they be made perfect’.2 Jesus is the only way for us to the Father, but the power of his sacrifice transcends all time and space. Through Jesus, we and this young man will all reach eternal life with God.
Jesus, Lord of the new covenant, thank you for dying for us. Turn our hearts and minds always towards you. Take us to yourself.
1 George Matheson, 1842 – 1906, ‘O Love that wilt not let me go’ 2 Heb 11:40
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezekiel 24,25; 1 Peter 3
Pray for Scripture Union
SU Honduras asks us to pray for the Bookstore El Encuentro and Camp Cerro de Luz, that they may continue to grow and that they will reach many more pastors, churches and ministries.
