Unhesitating Obedience

Psalms 119:57-64
ח HETH

57 You are my portion, O LORD;
I have said that I would keep Your words.

58 I entreated Your favor with my whole heart;
Be merciful to me according to Your word.

59 I thought about my ways,
And turned my feet to Your testimonies.

60 I made haste, and did not delay
To keep Your commandments.

61 The cords of the wicked have bound me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.

62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.

63 I am a companion of all who fear You,
And of those who keep Your precepts.

64 The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy;
Teach me Your statutes.

This eighth Hebrew letter points us to unhesitatingly obey God’s word.  The psalmist was inspired by the LORD to pen and sing these words to remind himself and we the people of God who hear or read them that He is all we need.  We eat of Him and His word (Jeremiah 15:16) each and every day, with our promise and resolve to keep all we take in from the scriptures by willingly adhering to the commands and examples given to us to apply in life accordingly.  As the writer was moved to pray that God would show favor to him, so we move our prayers upward to Him for mercy and grace according to His word as promised to we the people of God, especially now in Christ.  Like the divinely inspired psalmist, we also consider our ways and then align our feet to the road set before us as spelled out in the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  When we find ourselves not living the way we are to do, then our meditation and heartfelt consideration turns us back to the testimony of His desires for us.  We are not to delay by dwelling long on these things, however, but should and must make haste to change by active and responsive repentance as soon as we know we need to.  Though the wicked around us may hinder our progress and entangle us, we cannot forget God’s word as our guide to life (2 Timothy 2:4), but rather look in study and meditation to find the way to forge ahead in pleasing our Lord in willing obedience.  We are to seek holiness because He is holy, even waking at night when needed to consider these things with thanksgiving in prayer (Acts 16:25, Psalm 42:8, 77:6), thinking about the righteousness of God in all He has told us to do and the judgment on those who refuse to follow.  Like the psalmist, I also am a companion of those who fear Him in obedience to His word, standing in awe and wondering in forgiveness.  Yes, the earth is full of His great mercy to deliver the humble who trust and follow him according to His word.  My attitude and deep desire is therefore to continue learning from God’s teaching from the words of His mouth as my sustenance and inner working of His Spirit within me.  Amen!