August 13

The Psalmist in Psalm 119:33-40 states the heart’s cry of every believer: “Teach me, O lord, the way of your law…give me understanding…make me to go in the path of Your commandments…incline my heart to Your testimonies…turn away my eyes from vanity…quicken me in Your way…establish Your Word in me …quicken me in your righteousness.”

He is expressing lofty aspirations. It is his earnest yearning to be taught the law of the Lord, to understand it, to walk in it. He knows the Lord is altogether righteous and holy and worthy of all praise. He knows the testimonies of the God of Heaven are sure and all man’s ways are vanity.

And he confesses his utter helplessness to follow his own heart into the fullness of God’s truth apart from God Himself. We can imagine that he has tried and he has failed to be true to his love for the Lord, to be true to his own resolution to follow closely after Him. We needn’t imagine, for we are like him.

We, too, must recognize the futility of our own best effort to be the person the Lord desires us to be, the person who learns of Christ, who understands and follows Him, whose heart is ever toward Him. We know that we, too, if we are to keep our eyes on Him, must have His help. He’s promised to give it.