Scripture often refers to our relationship with God as a “walk.” That image is conveyed in the last stanza very clearly, in both a positive and negative light. This stanza tells us how to achieve this. Let’s look at the first half of it in Psalm 119:113-116:
In the previous stanza, the psalmist presented the word of God as a light for the path. If we are to walk in God’s ways, we need such a light to clarify where we are to put our feet. With that information, we know what to do. In the next stanza, we are told how to do it.
Very often, we can see the path before us, and we can see obstacles in that path very clearly. What we sometimes cannot see is our way around those obstacles. And if we are not using God’s Word as a light for our feet, then we cannot see clearly how to get around them at all.
So how are we to stay on the right path and keep ourselves form straying away from it? That’s the point of this stanza. If we are to walk the path that God has called us to, we must be very intentional in doing so, because the wrong paths are many, and they are easy to stray onto. If we are to stay on the right path, we must be intentional. And that intentionality comes through a consistent, continuous investment in the Word of God.
There are at least three ways that we can keep our focus intentionally upon God’s Word according to this strophe of Psalm 119. Two are found in the first half, and the third is in the second half, which we will look at next week.
The first way we maintain our intentionality is through a simple determination to obey God’s Word. We are faced with many varied opinions about life and faith in this world, many of which are directly opposed to God’s design. The psalmist states that he hates “double minded men.” This phrase comes from the same root word as the “two opinions” that Elijah observed in 1 Kings 18:21.
When the world offers us multiple opinions, or “double minded” options, we need to have the clarity of mind to choose the right way. That can only come from reading, studying, and following God’s Word. That is the thrust of the first three verses of this passage. The psalmist intentionally states that his focus is upon only the Word of God.
When we keep our focus on the proper end goal, we find that God becomes our refuge and shield, protecting us from those things that would harm us, distract us, and tempt us. We must cling to God above all else.
The second way that this stanza helps us direct our focus is found in verses 116 and 117. This spans the division of our passage for this week, but both verses are a plea for God’s grace. If we are to walk the path that God has called us to, then we must seek his help and guidance to do so. We can’t do this on our own, and we need God’s help.
Fortunately, God has given us a helper, the Holy Spirit who lives within us, guiding us, teaching us, and helping us understand the right path to follow. And then he gives us the strength to do so.
Our Father desires to give his children good gifts, and he loves it when we ask him for those gifts. That’s what the psalmist is doing here, seeking God’s gifts of grace and life to help him walk the right path.
As we strive to be intentional about following God, we must do the same. We must deliberately seek to obey God, and we must constantly seek his help to do so. That’s how we can stay on the right path and prevent our feet from straying.
Question: How are you intentional when it comes to seeking God in your life? What do you do to make this a priority, and to keep it there? You can leave a comment by clicking here.