Innermost

Psalm 119:1-8

Aleph.

      1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless,

      Who walk in the law of the LORD.

      2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,

      Who seek Him with all their heart.

      3 They also do no unrighteousness;

      They walk in His ways.

      4 You have ordained Your precepts,

      That we should keep them diligently.

      5 Oh that my ways may be established

      To keep Your statutes!

      6 Then I shall not be ashamed

      When I look upon all Your commandments.

      7 I shall give thanks to You with uprightness of heart,

      When I learn Your righteous judgments.

      8 I shall keep Your statutes;

      Do not forsake me utterly!

Examine / Explain

Happy and content are those who hold a high degree of integrity and honesty in their daily life. Happy and content are the ones who try to understand God and, with their innermost being, strive to be close to Him. The ones who do this will be covered in righteousness. The LORD has inscribed and carved boundaries in our hearts. We all have morality, but it is those who keep His boundaries that have an uprightness about them. When I understand the depths of which forsaking You can lead, I give thanks for salvation. I do not want to be forsaken by You.

How do I apply this to my life?

Not to follow my heart, but do I follow the inscription made in my innermost being?  Where is my mind, body, and soul in my walk with Christ? I know I struggle as a human chasing perfection, but how is my daily walk? Am I known for integrity and honesty? Do I confess my failures in my pursuit of blamelessness? Do I genuinely seek to know God, or am I looking for a vending machine of good things in my life? Do I seek to know His statutes? Do I actually inspect my heart according to His word? Do I know His commandments and live them out daily? Understanding this was written when Jesus walked the earth but with divine revelation, knowing He would be our salvation. Jesus summed up our commandments into two sentences. Love God with your innermost being. Love others. It should be simple, right? We are forgetful, prideful people. We will start chasing our own hearts at some point. But then we are reminded of our wrongdoings and the judgments that could come. Those that are in Christ should understand what we are saved from. Not just hell but the crushing blow of God’s wrath. We will no longer be separated from the God of the universe for eternity. That is the good news. We believe in Jesus for who He is and what He has done, pursue righteousness, find blamelessness, and love others in the process. How am I doing in this? Where am I lacking? What am I missing? Where can I be better?

What is my response?

Father, I fail you, but you never fail me. I chose my own ways and desires more often than choosing Yours. Thankfully, You are perfect in grace and mercy. I do not want to abuse grace and mercy, but I know I need it. I am a weak human who will fall short until the day I die. I want to strive to follow You. I don’t want to be ashamed of the gospel. I don’t want to be ashamed of Christ and proclaim the good news to everyone. I don’t want to crave the world more than I crave to be near You. Again, where am I lacking in this? What do I need to change in my daily life to be able to pursue You better than before? I need your help. Am I willing to accept it? Amen.