Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

The God standard

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Psalm 119:1-8
Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.

Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.

I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

Deuteronomy 26:19
You will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.

I wonder if the author of Psalm 119 knew anyone whose ways were blameless. If her friends claimed to be, that very claim took them down. And she knew herself well enough to know how far she was from the God standard.

But she felt hope stirring up inside her heart. Where could that hope have come from? Maybe she was imagining it. Maybe it was something she ate. Maybe it really was a breath of the Spirit inside her.

On the bad days this hope seems more like a carrot tied out a few inches ahead of my nose than a God thing. I smell its orangeness and I'm really hungry; I can almost taste it. I just can't quite reach it. Keep moving, do the works, try to be righteous, Dave. You'll get that carrot. It's got to be getting closer; look how far you've come? Then when my eyes focus, I see that I've been fooled.

So at first I'm angry. But this is not God's fault. He didn't tie up that carrot. He promises me that I will be holy. While I wait and hope for that fine day, He's not the one who says, "You should be ashamed." We might say it to each other, but we didn't hear it from him.

I hear the psalmist sing, "I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your laws." Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And my sins, my earth, my confounded shameful misbehaviors will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glorious grace.

Dad, I didn't get this from you. Mom, I needed to hear this so much more often. And of course you needed to hear it too. Please, can we all just listen together with all our ears to get every single sweetened sound: "I will always love you."

O Lord, open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.

Devotions Archive

The God standard

Saturday, March 7, 2009