Category Prayer

Vs. 33 — Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.

Charles H. Spurgeon:

Child-like, blessed words, from the lips of an old, experienced believer, and he a king, and a man inspired of God … The Psalmist will have the Lord for his teacher; for he feels that his heart will not learn of any less effectual instructor …   The very desire to learn this way is in itself an assurance that we shall be taught therein, for he who made us long to learn will be sure to gratify the desire.

Those who are taught of God never forget their lessons. When divine grace sets a man in the true way he will be true to it. Mere human wit and will have no such enduring influence: there is an end to all perfection of the flesh, but there is no end to heavenly grace except its own end, which is the perfecting of holiness in the fear of the Lord. Perseverance to the end is most certainly to be predicted of those whose beginning is in God, and with God, and by God; but those who commence without the Lord’s teaching soon forget what they learn, and start aside from the way upon which they professed to have entered. No one may boast that he will hold on his way in his own strength, for that must depend upon the continual teaching of the Lord: we shall fall like Peter, if we presume on our own firmness as he did. If God keeps us we shall keep his way; and it is a great comfort to know that it is the way with God to keep the feet of his saints. Yet we are to watch as if our keeping of the way depended wholly on ourselves; for, according to this verse, our perseverance rests not on any force or compulsion, but on the teaching of the Lord, and assuredly teaching, whoever be the teacher, requires learning on the part of the taught one: no one can teach a man who refuses to learn. Earnestly, then, let us drink in divine instruction, that so we may hold fast our integrity, and to life’s latest hour follow on in the path of uprightness! If we receive the living and incorruptible seed of the word of God we must live: apart from this we have no life eternal, but only a name to live. (Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). The treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, p. 208). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

Prayer:

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Yes, if the Spirit of God teaches me, I will learn, and I will understand, and I will be zealous in them. I set my heart to know Your statutes and to keep them diligently. Amen

Vs. 32 — I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.

John Calvin:

The meaning of the prophet is, that when God shall inspire him with love for his law, he will be vigorous and ready, nay, even steady, so as not to faint in the middle of his course. His words contain an implied admission of the supineness and inability of men to make any advancement in well-doing until God enlarge their hearts. No sooner does God expand their hearts, than they are fitted not only for walking, but also for running in the way of his commandments. (Calvin, J., & Anderson, J. (2010). Commentary on the Book of Psalms (Vol. 4, p. 423). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

Prayer:

O’ Lord, enlarge my heart that I may learn and understand Your commandments and truth. Enlarge my heart that I may know the love of Christ. Enlarge my heart to love others as Christ loves. Enlarge my heart for the lost and perishing. Enlarge my heart to see and discern truth and righteousness from error and deception. Enlarge my heart to be full of thanksgiving and gratitude to You and towards others. Thus I will run the course of Your commandments. Amen!

Vs. 31 — I cling to Your testimonies; O Lord, do not put me to shame!

Comments from John Stephen:

It is not a little remarkable, that while the Psalmist says (verse 25), “My soul cleaveth to the dust,” he should say here, “I have cleaved unto thy testimonies”; for it is the same original word in both verses. The thing is altogether compatible with the experience of the believer. Without there is the body of indwelling sin, and within there is the undying principle of divine grace. There is the contest between them—“the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh” (Gal. 5:17), and the believer is constrained to cry out, “O wretched man that I am” (Rom. 7:24). It is the case; and all believers find it so. While the soul is many times felt cleaving to the dust, the spirit strives to cleave unto God’s testimonies. So the believer prays, Cause that I be not put to shame. And keeping close to Christ, brethren, you shall not be put to shame, world without end. (Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). The treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, p. 204). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

Prayer:

“Father, I have looked away and stepped away from Thy perfect ways. My heart, as well as my actions and words, have been selfish. I have stepped backwards in my fellowship with You rather than forwards. I am a wretched man that stumbles and sometimes jumps from the path of righteousness. I confess my waywardness, do not let shame, guilt, and regret have their way in me. My soul desires Your ways, yet I also have rebellion wrestling within. But You, O’ God, have not forsaken me. The eternal sacrifice of my Savior–Jesus Christ, is my covering. He is my propitiation. He alone is my righteousness. In Him do I stand. Blessed be the name of my Lord! Knowing who You are, Father, and who Christ is and has done, I eagerly cling to Your testimonies. There is no other Savior but Thee! And You are good and kind and forgiving and full of mercy. Blessed be Your Name forever and ever. Amen!

Vs. 30 — I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.

Thomas Watson:

Religion is not a matter of chance, but of choice. Have we weighed things in the balance, and, upon mature deliberation, made an election,—“We will have God upon any terms?” Have we sat down and reckoned the cost,—or what religion must cost us,—the parting with our lusts; and what it may cost us,—the parting with our lives? Have we resolved, through the assistance of grace, to own Christ when the swords and staves are up? and to sail with him, not only in a pleasure-boat, but in a man-of-war? This choosing God speaks him to be ours: hypocrites profess God out of worldly design, not religious choice.

Prayer:

I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me. You have made the way of truth clear to me and I declare that it is my way. By the guidance of Your word I will follow the way of Jesus, to walk as He walked. Your ways and judgments are mine.

Vs. 29 — Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously.

Comments from John Calvin:

Take away from me the way of falsehood. Knowing how prone the nature of man is to vanity and falsehood, he first asks the sanctification of his thoughts, lest, being entangled by the snares of Satan, he fall into error. Next, that he may be kept from falsehood, he prays to be fortified with the doctrine of the law. (Calvin, J., & Anderson, J. (2010). Commentary on the Book of Psalms (Vol. 4, p. 421). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

Prayer:

Father, remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Your law graciously. Grant me to discern falsehood around me. Remove the lying and deceptions that are shot at me like arrows throughout the day. Both from without and those deceptions that are from within. I confess to You, Father, that I must be watchful over my heart lest I deceive others for selfish reasons. Lest I manipulate and/or withhold whole truths to get my way. Forgive me; such wretchedness.