Psalm 119:33-35

"Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it" Psalm 119:33-35

Three things the Psalmist asks in today's verses. Three things he desires. Three things will change his life and make him a better man. What are these wonder working items? How will they perform in the Psalmist's life? Will they do the same for me? For you?

"Teach me," the Psalmist entreats. Teach me what? Teach me the way of our Laws. The ten? Perhaps for the psalm writer. But for you and me it is but two. "Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself." In these two are the ten fulfilled. That's what Jesus said. "Teach me to love," we ask. In doing that, the Master will have taught us a valuable lesson.

"Give me understanding," he continues. Understanding? Is that the same as Wisdom? Indeed it is. Knowledge, even knowledge of the Laws of God, without wisdom is mostly without value. Should be gain all the knowledge the world has to offer and we have not wisdom (understanding), what good is it? If we know not how to use that knowledge to accomplish what God wants, to accomplish good, then it might as well have staid between the bindings of a book. Wisdom tells us how to reach people, how to minister to them, how to use the powerful "Sword of the Spirit" to drive off evil and separate sin from the sinner. That is what wisdom does.

"Make me walk in the path of Your commandments." The third request is made. Isn't that the same as the first? The commandments are mentioned in both. No, the first is knowledge of the laws. The second is how to apply that knowledge. This one is the desire to dwell in the law on a daily basis. STOP! PROCEED NO FURTHER!, at least until you know a bit more. Remember the law is reduced to two laws of love. Now we can proceed. If we have knowledge of love, if we have an understanding of the application of love, then we are ready to dwell in that love. And that is why we delight in it. It's like a child enjoying the first major snow of the season. He plays in it for hours. It gets in his hair and he laughs. He lays in it and makes "snow angels" and has a blast. That is the way we should "delight in the law" for it is indeed delightful. It is rich. It is all we are told it is, and much, much more!

Let us seek the knowledge, let us ask for understanding, and let us continue on in love until we delight in dwelling in it. Amen and Amen.