I Believe in You

12.5.2010

Psalm 119:66 66 Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. ESV

One could read Psalm 119 and see it as all about keeping the Law, or one could read Psalm 119 and see it as all about faith; one way is performance, the other is relationship.

The writer of this Psalm I believe, was looking beyond the Law. The commandment, precepts, statutes and rules were not written down in some document but were written upon his heart for he said, I believe in Your commandments; he put his faith not in the Law but in Him who was behind the Law, and immeasurably linked to every part of human existence.

The confusing part is when we get hung up on the rules. Paul gives a number of commands in Ephesians 5 and 6 that could look like commands but Paul would be the first one to tell us that relationship with God has nothing to do with keeping the rules and everything to do with loving relationship with God who, like a spouse or a relative, or a good friend, has earned the right to speak into our lives. Our obedience to their words isn’t performance based but out of respect for their love and knowing that what they say is probably for our best.

Yes, we want to please God, but not because we can go to Him and boast of all our rule-keeping. We please God because we trust Him and love Him out of respect for the fact that His intentions for us (and His presence in our lives) are for our infinite good. So, to say no to what is unhealthy for us is not done out of tip-toeing around the Tyrant, but loving our Creator to the point of accepting that all He does in us, for us, and through us is totally good and for our greatest benefit. So, that’s why we can pray like the psalmist, “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments… because I believe in You!”

Father in Heaven,
Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. Help me to walk in the paths of Your commands because I seek them, trust them, and love You. Amen.