Thoughts for the Day

The Glories of God’s Law

Happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord.
Happy are those who keep his decrees,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways.
You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
O that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous ordinances.
I will observe your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Do you have aspirations? Do you want want to be, a teacher, nor a parent, or an ambulance technician, or learn more about your faith, or become a nurse, or something else (and age is no excuse, after all you could aspire to have a better prayer life)? Some of this will depend on whether you look forward or look backward, and whether you can turn your aspirations into reality. It can be just the same with our faith. We may make promises, as with the psalmist above who delights in God's laws, and says he will not forget them, but all too often life gets in the way, so that we take our eyes off God and we forget His words.

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the book and one of my all time favourites. We could spend a lifetime getting to know its wisdom. This psalm has at least seven words for "law" - ie law, decrees, precepts, statutes, commandments, ordinances, and word. In ancient times this psalm would have been committed to memory, so its written in segments starting with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet to help with learning.

Because we know that our Lord died so that we can receive forgiveness for our sins doesn't mean we shouldn't try to keep God's commandments, or indeed our promises made to Him. Ask yourself "What does God want of me?", and then ask God the same question. Finally reset your goals accordingly, and ask forgiveness for when things go wrong. The real sin is to do nothing.

Father-God,
may we truly want to follow Your ways
seeking You with our whole heart.
and living a blameless life.
Help us to keep Your commandments
and delight in Your law,
a law that puts love at its heart.
Give us the desire to be more faithful
and more obedient to Your word,
so that as Your faithful children
we willingly desire to reset our goals.
Amen.