Ever sat in a classroom situation and wondered what on earth the teacher was talking about. Sometimes it may be the teacher’s fault but often it is ours. Or maybe you have this problem in church sometimes when what the preacher is talking about seems just too difficult to comprehend, let alone act upon.
Well, you are not alone! Our psalmist also confesses that he needs help. Listen to his prayer to God as he requests divine instruction, understanding and guidance in order to then act upon the truths he learns and live the life God has planned for him:
ה He
33 Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life.
When we turn to the Gospels, we see that the disciples of Jesus had the same problem at times when it came to the teaching of Jesus. One example being in Mark 4 when Jesus told the parable of the Sower which the disciples then needed an explanation from him to help them understand. We read:
Jesus began to teach [the crowd] by the lake… 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed…
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables…
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? (Mark 4:1-20)
He then graciously explained the meaning to them.
Later though they had to face the day when Jesus would no longer be with them, physically, and obviously this created a dilemma for them. Who was going to help then then? Jesus then told them some great news, which was not only for them but us also. He said,
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — 17 the Spirit of truth… he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)
25 All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:25-26)
12 I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:12-15)
“A major function of the Holy Spirit is to provide exactly what the psalmist asked for in this stanza: instruction, understanding and guidance in God’s ways.” (SU Encounter with God)
Do you lack wisdom, understanding or direction in your life today? Pray this prayer from Psalm 119 asking the Holy Spirit to:
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word. Amen.
Tehilim (Psalms) - "songs of praise". 