Psalms 119:169-176

After many weeks of work, we have come to the end of the longest psalm in the Bible. Congratulations! I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

OK, I admit that sometimes, the work was difficult and I battled the temptation to give up, but here at the end as I try to cram the last few verses into memory, I am truly glad I did not quit. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

I absolutely adore the way David ends this psalm. The entire thing began with “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord…” and it ends with “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments.”

He begins with the knowledge that walking according to God’s rules leads to blessedness, and he concludes with the realization that he cannot actually do this on his own, asking God to seek him like a lost sheep. Can you relate? I surely can.

The longer I walk with God and the more I read, meditate on, and trust in His words, the more humbled I become. The more I see myself as a poor and foolish little sheep, ever straying from the safety of my Shepherd’s side, needing Him to constantly keep me under His care. So to wrap this project up, I’m going to walk line-by-line through this final stanza and personalize it into my own prayer.

Again, thanks for coming along with me on this journey, and may the Spirit of God whisper the living words of God to you again and again in time of need! I hope this is not the end of memory work for you but only a beginning. May a deep and abiding hunger for the things of God be awakened within all of us, consuming us with a passion for His Kingdom and enduring until the end of time.

Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word! Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word.

My Sovereign, I need You to guide my understanding. Please hear my cries and answer my pleas. Grant that Your servant may be filled with Your Holy Spirit so that each new day brings a deeper understanding of Your word and of what You would have me to do.

My lips will pour forth praise, for you teach me your statutes. My tongue will sing of your word, for all your commandments are right.

As long as You teach me, I will praise Your name. Make me an eternal student of the living God, and remind me to sing for joy of the Living Word who is full of compassion, goodness, truth, and wisdom. Teach my tongue to rejoice and bring glory to You. Sanctify my mouth and make it a holy tool for Your use. 

 Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight.

And how I need Your help! The longer I walk with You, the more clearly I see the truth behind Jesus’ words, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” Please give me the help I need when I stagger from weariness or stray from weakness, for I truly desire to belong to Your fold. I long for that day when my salvation will be complete, when I can delight myself in Your presence and Your law without the corrupting influence of sin and selfishness. 

Let my soul live and praise you, and let your rules help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

Lord, I can think of no better way to end than this. Let Your rules help me. Seek me, for I am lost and I am prone to wander, yet I remain Your servant and even in times of weakness, Your commandments are close to my mind and heart. I am Yours; save me!