When We Admit and Obey

⁶⁵ To your servant do good
    the way your word says, Lord.
^66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
    to trust always in your commands.
^67 Taking off on my own led to my affliction,
    today I obey your word.
^68 Teacher, you are good, and what you do is good;
    teach me your decrees.
^69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
    Tucked tightly in my heart, I keep your precepts.
^70 Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
    to me your law is a delight.
^71  To be afflicted was good for me
    that I might learn your decrees.
^72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
    than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

Psalm 119:65-72 Paraphrased to honor the original acrostic poem and this verse’s letter: Teth

Admitting our mistakes can be one of the most difficult aspects of healthy living. Some things, like fouling up a recipe or making a mess, I fess up to right away. I don’t even mind admitting when I’ve gotten myself lost. Other things . . . well . . . I don’t know about you, but I don’t like having to retract statements when I insisted I was in the right.

But when our hearts begin to look like Jesus’, we begin to see the need to confess. Hopefully, we’ll see our mistakes earlier than the Psalmist who had to deal with affliction as a result of his going astray. But even when we don’t, Psalm 119 gives us hope.

The hardships we face because of disobedience can be good for us. We learn from them. If our hearts are bent toward loving our Creator, each struggle can be a time of growth, and those brought on by going our own way often produce the biggest crop.

This entire Psalm reveals the secret to a blessed life. Even when our own mistakes drag us down or the lies of our enemies pollute our reputation, the answer to living in God’s blessings is found in His word. Go back and read just the second line of each verse. Each of these eight scriptures ends with a word about following the King’s commands.

If we want the Lord to do good for us, to teach us knowledge and good judgment, and just be the good, good Father He promises to be, we need to trust and obey. It’s vital we keep His precepts tucked tightly in our hearts and delight in His law. Because while salvation is a gift freely given to those who believe and accept Christ’s sacrifice for their sins, blessings come from obedience, and obedience can only come when we know and love God’s Word.

If you’ve enjoyed the last three devotions from Psalm 119,
you might like a study I created based on the Psalms of Ascent,
Psalm 120-134
It’s called, “I Really Want to Worship You, Lord”

Have a blessed day!