Tag Archives: Teth

Teth

⁶⁵ You have done many good things for me, Lord,
    just as you promised.
⁶⁶ I believe in your commands;
    now teach me good judgment and knowledge.
⁶⁷ I used to wander off until you disciplined me;
    but now I closely follow your word.
⁶⁸ You are good and do only good;
    teach me your decrees.
⁶⁹ Arrogant people smear me with lies,
    but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart.
⁷⁰ Their hearts are dull and stupid,
    but I delight in your instructions.
⁷¹ My suffering was good for me,
    for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.
⁷² Your instructions are more valuable to me
    than millions in gold and silver.

Psalm 119:65-72

Dear God, I’ve been a little distracted by work this morning while on my vacation. I have an unavoidable appointment in about 20 minutes that I’ve had to get my head in the game for. It’s kind of stunk, but who am I to complain. This vacation has been great and I am completely blessed (is that the right word?) to be here right now. I am grateful to you for this time away and in such a lovely place. Thank you, Father. Thank you. I said yesterday that I need to be more intentionally grateful to you. I am, Father. I am very grateful for you.

Regarding today’s “Teth” section of Psalm 119, I’m actually looking forward to getting into this verse by verse because there were some interesting and disparate thoughts throughout them. So let me see what you might have for me this morning.

• ⁶⁵ You have done many good things for me, Lord, just as you promised. – Did you promise me good things? Honestly, if you did, it’s not a promise I cling to anymore. Maybe I used to expect good things at some point, but I feel like that has been squeezed/pressed out of me. There are a lot of good things in my life, and I am grateful to you for them. But they feel like a fortunate blessing more than you living up to a promise you made to me. I think of the faithful people in Ukraine or Gaza right now who are really suffering. I certainly can’t claim that I am deserving of this goodness and they are not. No, you are good all of the time, but I might not be able to determine what “good ” looks like. I certainly can’t trust my own definition of it. While I am at it, Father, please bless and care for all of the people who are suffering in these war zones. Whether it’s Thailand and Cambodia, all of the conflicts in Africa, Gaza and Israel, or Ukraine and Russia, I ask that you please raise up people and governments who will care for these who are suffering. Honestly, this is too big for me to know how to pray. Holy Spirit, please take these feeble prayers and use them however you will to make a difference for you, the Father, and Jesus in this world.
• ⁶⁶ I believe in your commands; now teach me good judgment and knowledge. – Yes. This! Teach me good judgment and knowledge. The psalmist still had a lot to learn. I still have a lot to learn. Teach me, Father. Don’t let any opportunities pass by me. Teach me. Give me wisdom and discernment. Help me to see beyond the surface. Help me to bring you glory through my little life.
• ⁶⁷ I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. – Boy would I love to say this is true about me, but I still wander off now and then. I suppose it’s less and less, but I confess that I still wander. To quote “Come Thou Fount,” “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above.”
• ⁶⁸ You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees. – Going back to verse 65, you being good doesn’t mean that you owe me good things. But you are good, God. You are good all the time.
• ⁶⁹ Arrogant people smear me with lies, but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart. – I wonder what kind of persecution the author of this psalm experienced. I don’t experience much at all, but I live in a region that, if not on a real level of depth, at least pays lip service to worshipping you. That takes away a lot of my persecution there. But there are times when I get crossways with other believers. That can be hard because I can get really proud of my stances and frustrated when I think people who should agree with me don’t. Sometimes I doubt whether I am right or not. Going back to verse 66, teach me judgment and knowledge.
• ⁷⁰ Their hearts are dull and stupid, but I delight in your instructions. – The word stupid is hard for me. Misinformed, maybe. Sometimes fooled by misinformation sold to them by people who are monetizing misleading them. So I pray for them and I pray for myself, that we might all be learning from you and delighting in your instructions. That we might ultimately be one.
• ⁷¹ My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. – Frankly, it’s good to know the psalmist has suffered. I couldn’t tell from what I’ve gone through so far. But he’s right. It does help us to learn to depend upon you, understand who you are calling us to be, and deny ourselves, take up your cross and follow you.
• ⁷² Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver. – Quoting a song here: “Lord, you are more precious than silver. Lord, you are more costly that gold. Lord, you are more beautiful than diamonds, and nothing I desire compares with you.” I love you, Father, and I thank you.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen