Whole Hearted Failure

Psalm 119:1-3 ESV

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

Who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

I turned and looked at Kelly and told her “I think if we can get our kids to read the bible every year, they’ll be okay.” Obviously, a lot can happen, it does “rain on the just and the unjust” but if my kids are reading their bible every year, and continue to do so, they’ll be okay. I say this because of my greatest worry as a parent is that my children would grow up to reject God and his word. They will sin a lot in their lives. They will fall and have to get back up. They will turn away and have to repent. They will say mean and nasty things, and have to say “I’m sorry”. They will have to forgive those who don’t want forgiveness. They will have to help those who have hurt them deeply. All of this repentance, grace, and mercy is bolstered and buttressed by THE word of GOD.

Many survive on less. Many find a verse with some commentary enough to sustain them through their day, their week, and eventually their year. This level of spiritual anorexia only has the effect of making anorexic Christians. As if the old maxim were true that “A verse a day keeps the devil away”. What though, of the abundant life. The fullness that we are promised in Christ? A verse a day will never suffice to create in us a FULL-figured Christianity. Our communities will be left with skeletons with skin on them, rather than robust, loving neighbors.

The bible reading plan that I use takes sections from different parts (Old Testament, Wisdom Literature, New Testament) of the bible to help work your way through the entire bible without losing heart in the Pentateuch. And after five days I came to the end of Psalm 119. A song of 22 different sections each of eight verses. All dedicated to one thing, God's word. To help you as you read through this psalm I recommend lightly underlining every time the author references it in some form. The Law of God, Your law, Your testimonies, Your precepts, your statues, your commandments. The author seems to rejoice in the myriad of ways he can tell God of how great this book is and how wonderful it is for him. And yet when it is divided into five days of reading it is easy to lose sight of the Gospel intrinsic in it. As all of God’s word points to Christ a poem 176 verses long expressing love of the word of God it should be evident the Gospel is present in this Psalm if anywhere!

It begins with the blessing on the blameless, on those who keep the law and walk in it with their whole heart. Those “who do no wrong but walk in his ways” are blessed and lifted up. The gospel begins with bad news. This isn’t you. I know, because it isn’t me either. Who among us is such a sterling example of human virtue? No, we are those who stand condemned and are not only NOT blessed but are cursed! This though is not where the Psalm stops. As the author persists in his endeavor of devotion, he calms to the same revelation that we do. In examining and praising the Law, testimonies, precepts, etc.… he cries out at the end in verse 176 “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.” Only God could save him. Only the shepherd can find this lost sheep. He may have rejected the commandments for a time, he may have not chosen to hearken to the voice of the shepherd for a time. But the commandment has not left his heart, and so he cries out to the one who can save him. The one whose word he loves.

Let us join such a cry and stay the course as we read and love the word. Let us dine on a full table, not content with a breakfast of lettuce to sustain our lives.

Coram deo.