Psalm 119 Devotional
22 Days: Knowing is Loving
Day 15 (Samekh – verses 113-120)
I hate those who are double-minded, but I love Your law. You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word. Depart from me, evildoers, that I may observe the commandments of my God. Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Uphold me that I may be safe, that I may have regard for Your statutes continually. You have rejected all those who wander from Your statutes, for their deceitfulness is useless. You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love Your testimonies. My flesh trembles for fear of You, and I am afraid of Your judgments.
Double mindedness is something that not any of us like or would desire in ourselves. If we think back to yesterday’s devotion, we realize once again that the choice to love the perfect law of the Lord is completely ours. Have you made a choice to follow God’s perfect precepts? That is between each of us and the Lord, but we do know as the psalmist points out that by following the Lord we are protected. God is with us as we move in this world. We can have many questions to approach here as to our desire for the evildoers and the double-minded as God protects us? To have an easy life or to be more focused on God’s law and statutes for us? Do we find ourselves saying, “Lord, take these evil people from me so that my life can be made easy?” God may decide to remove the evildoers from our lives, if He does so will we be fully focused on all that His word calls us to do?
As God sustains us in our lives, which His word promises, what are we doing with that life? Could it be that the psalmist’s reference to the double-minded is directed to those whose lives are being sustained. In the following of God’s word, we can find ourselves proclaiming hope. If we are not proclaiming hope, would it not be that we are “ashamed of my hope?” A challenging question for us, but one that we can look at in light of God’s statutes as we continually regard them. As believers in Christ, we are called to work out our salvation. The working out of our salvation can certainly involve the hard question of how we react and take to heart the statutes of God (Philippians 2:12-13).
Taking this stanza on a personal level and applying it to our lives could create a bit of uncomfortableness. I believe that we as followers of Christ truly desire to be used by God. How do we desire God to use us? He has cleansed us, as the reference to the removal of “dross” suggests. Dross is the impurities that are taken out of metal in the refining process. We are being refined for the glory of God. Yes, we do fear the Lord and we do not want to face judgment. The reality is that our Lord has prepared us for His work and His glory, for His namesake. Let us as the body of Christ humbly offer ourselves always to the Lord to be used by Him (Romans 12:1-2).
Lord God, I do fear You. Your power, might, and sovereignty are greater than I can fathom. Yet in all of who You are, You love and have loved me. Thank you for that grace, my gracious Father in heaven. Lord I know that at times I have been double minded in my thinking and actions. Lord, despite me, You have always loved me. Lord continue the work that You have started in me and change me to always proclaim and live out the hope that is only found in You, which I have. Lord, I desire to always pursue You and Your word. Discipline me and strengthen me as I seek all of what there is to know of You. I love You my Lord and God.