“Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
who walk in the law of the Lord!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
who seek him with their whole heart,
who also do no wrong,
but walk in his ways!
You have commanded your precepts
to be kept diligently.
Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.
I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:1-11
The description is attached to the prescription: the blameless are defined by a distinct way of living. Intrinsically intertwined are keeping the commands, seeking the Lord who issued them, and ongoing active walking in His revealed way. None is independent of the other. Mindset, heart passion, and body and will conformity all make up the blessed life in Christ.
Tripping comes when we let one slide. We voice allegiance, yet fill our minds with alternative ‘truth’ and manmade mantras and preferred opinions over God’s clear word. Whose rules do we actually and exclusively follow? We profess devotion, yet fail to practice even the most basic disciplines to actually seek the Lord. Are we regularly and attentively poring over His word, reading systematically to understand the process of His plans, intentions with His people, and exquisiteness and excellencies of His attributes? Do we take long moments quieted from the world’s input to meditate on Him in prayer- eyes closed, mind concentrating, soul kneeling, worshiping solely for who He is, not just what He’s done? Listening? We claim obedience, but do we justify behavior by comparison? How carefully are we guarding our actions and renouncing temptation? How actively and promptly do we implement His positive commands?
It’s important to know what consumes and compels us, to adjust or correct those drivers, and to be certain to surrender to God’s truth as supreme. When all around us is moving and teasing and pulling, where do we fix our eyes? Do daily necessities and fleeting distractions rule our hours, or have we determined our life course in relation to the Lord? Are we easily dissuaded from keeping course, or do we make decisions and manage urgencies and temptations thoughtfully? What devotion to self and its attending affections keeps us from wholehearted devotion to the Lord? (Psalm 119:15-16,18,24)
How can we hide God’s word in our hearts to guard against sin? What practical defense do His truth and promises wield in everyday buffeting and interactions? What allure to please man stumbles a faithful walk, and what will we do about it? Where do delay and loitering cause us to fall away, and how will we more readily hasten to obey? (Psalm 119:60,69-70,78)
Father, convict me of willful wayfaring, wrong thinking, and weak devotion, and set me straight in zealous, wholehearted obedience to You and for Your glory.
As the rain and snow 