God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me -- my whole life one long, obedient response. Guide me down the road to your commandments; I love traveling this freeway! Give me a bent for your words of wisdom, and not for piling up loot. Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way. Affirm your promises to me -- promises made to all who fear you. (Psalm119:33ff)
Teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course! It's the course that's the problem isn't it? I mean, is it a golf course that one must know yardage to the green? Where one must understand the lay of the ball, or the direction of dog-legs and such stuff? Or, it is a race track where the object of the game is to knock as many other speeding cars off the track in an attempt to get ahead, at whatever cost? Perhaps this course the Psalmist is referring to is the course of some trail that is not marked well, with pit-falls along the way, dangers at every turn, and only fit for the most fit, in order to complete!
There are times when it surely feels like God is putting before me one sand trap or hazard after another . . . and my natural inclination is to . . . "GET OFF THIS COURSE!" But, what my spirit tells me is to stay the course, trust God to have His best plans for my life.
It's the enemy that would lie to me and tell me that "yes, even God is out to get you!" What satan doesn't want for me, is to run the race without wavering and complete the course in such a way that when I get to the finish line, I would hear the long awaited words of my Father saying "well done, thy good and faithful servant!"
So . . . if I so badly want to hear those words (and I do) then why do toys and trinkets so easily divert my direction? And why is it that I look everywhere for the wisdom of the Lord except looking to the Lord directly?
Maybe the answer lies in those last few words. Could it be that I have become so casual with God, that I no longer have the kind of awe that I "fear" him? Over the years there has been much teaching and preaching, about us not needing to fear God. That God doesn't want us to be afraid of Him. And I agree . . . but quite possibly we've taken it too far. Could it be that we've moved so far away from any notion of fearing God, that we've actually lost the ability to stand in awe? I realize that in most every angelic encounter with humans, their first words were "be not afraid," but I wonder what the angel might have said if there was no fear, if there was no awe, if there was no surprise at their presence? I realize that being too casual with God, is our first step off the right course, and the first step onto a course set for hell! I realize that any course not set for heaven is a course set for hell. And so, I pray these words again . . . God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course! However, I realize that those life lessons are painful ones. They are lessons that teach me that when I've wandered off course, then I end up in situations of my own making; messes of my own disobedient doing, as though I were barefooted in the desert! Teach me those lessons Lord . . . and may I be a quick learner!
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