O Lord, listen to my cry; give me the discerning mind you promised. Listen to my prayer; rescue me as you promised. Let praise flow from my lips, for you have taught me your decrees. Let my tongue sing about your word, for all your commands are right. Give me a helping hand, for I have chosen to follow your commandments. O Lord, I have longed for your rescue, and your instructions are my delight. Let me live so I can praise you, and may your regulations help me. I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands. (Psalm 119:169-176)
All of us like sheep have wandered away from God at some point in our lives, and whether it was intentional or not, God desires for each one of us to return to Him. In fact, he will seek each one of us out and help us get right back on the path we wandered from to begin with. In this last section of Psalm 119, the Psalmist is still surrounded by his enemies who continually try to bring him down. What is interesting to me is that he mentions that he has wandered away like a lost sheep. Perhaps this is one of the reasons he is surrounded by people who daily harass and attack him. Throughout Psalm 119, he has never lost sight of the importance of God’s Word; he greatly values and treasures it – greater than even gold or silver. He has chosen to follow and listen to God’s Word, and yet he has found himself wandering where he doesn’t want to be. He longs for God to rescue him from wherever he has wandered to. Perhaps, the Psalmist discovered God and his Word while he was wandering like a lost sheep and this has allowed him to also discover great hope and peace and power in the midst of his circumstances. Whether you have wandered from God fully knowing about him and his Word, or whether you have been wandering from God and discovered hope along the way, it is important to recognize that the Word of God has been provided for each and every one of us as truth, as light, as hope, and as directions to find our way to or back to a loving God. I love Psalm 119 because it really reminds me of just how valuable God’s Word really is. God is calling each and every one of us to return to him. For some of us that means a short trip and for others it’s a longer journey. Wherever you are right now in your life and whatever journey lies ahead of you, won’t you take his Word along with you for the journey and allow it to light your path and fill you with life and truth?
All of us like sheep have wandered away from God at some point in our lives, and whether it was intentional or not, God desires for each one of us to return to Him. In fact, he will seek each one of us out and help us get right back on the path we wandered from to begin with. In this last section of Psalm 119, the Psalmist is still surrounded by his enemies who continually try to bring him down. What is interesting to me is that he mentions that he has wandered away like a lost sheep. Perhaps this is one of the reasons he is surrounded by people who daily harass and attack him. Throughout Psalm 119, he has never lost sight of the importance of God’s Word; he greatly values and treasures it – greater than even gold or silver. He has chosen to follow and listen to God’s Word, and yet he has found himself wandering where he doesn’t want to be. He longs for God to rescue him from wherever he has wandered to. Perhaps, the Psalmist discovered God and his Word while he was wandering like a lost sheep and this has allowed him to also discover great hope and peace and power in the midst of his circumstances. Whether you have wandered from God fully knowing about him and his Word, or whether you have been wandering from God and discovered hope along the way, it is important to recognize that the Word of God has been provided for each and every one of us as truth, as light, as hope, and as directions to find our way to or back to a loving God. I love Psalm 119 because it really reminds me of just how valuable God’s Word really is. God is calling each and every one of us to return to him. For some of us that means a short trip and for others it’s a longer journey. Wherever you are right now in your life and whatever journey lies ahead of you, won’t you take his Word along with you for the journey and allow it to light your path and fill you with life and truth?
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