Saturday 11th January
Read Psalm 119:1-8
“Aleph
1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart –
3 they do no wrong
but follow his ways.
4 You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.
5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
6 Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous laws.
8 I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me.” (NIVUK)
It is often the case that we read passages of the bible with a lens that shapes our interpretation of a passage and in particular, the psalms seem to lend themselves to this as we try and understand the author’s mood and thinking and as we see how it relates to our lives. For the comments that follow a “pilgrim’s lens” has been applied to psalm 119. It is an attempt to understand the stanzas and their sequence from the point of view of a traveller on a journey with God and their perception of the directions that God has given for their journey. There are a series of words that are used repeatedly that represent aspects of these directions and in many ways they are interchangeable, all focus on the word of God.
The journey requires a relationship. v1-8.
The psalm starts with the stated goal, to be blessed because one is blameless, this pilgrim is seeking to be holy and blameless before God. The word ‘walk’ immediately flags the idea of a pilgrimage/journey requiring the following of the map (law) and keeping to the instructions (statutes) but the psalmist then realises that to do this a relationship is needed (seek him with all their heart) akin to walking and listening to Jesus! Those who seek God will find that they will walk in the right direction (not stray into wrong). The psalmist then reflects on the difficulty of doing what God requires, it is so easy to wander off-track and to ignore the ‘decrees’ but he recognises that if he listens carefully and therefore chooses the right path then shame/guilt will not be the outcome of hearing God’s commands, instead praise to the one who guides him will come, he will have a teachable heart. He realises that to do this he needs to listen and walk in the direction God points and to do that he needs God’s presence (do not utterly forsake). A prayer that comes to mind is – Jesus please walk with me, without your presence I will be lost, thank you that you have left your Spirit to point me in the right direction.
Geoff Hinch
