Daily Scripture: Psalm 119:33-40
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.
Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com
Reflection Questions:
We might almost see this passage (drawn from the longest psalm in the Bible) as a prayer for a good midlife crisis. “Teach me, Lord…Direct me…Give me understanding…Turn my heart…Turn my eyes.” These are the requests of a heart that wants to follow God, and to live according to God’s values.
- Verse 40 says, “How I long for your precepts” (or “See how hungry I am for your counsel” (The Message). What forces or circumstances keep you from hearing God’s counsel, or even from wanting to hear it? What makes you hunger for a clear vision of God’s precepts for your life?
- In verse 36, the psalmist prays, “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.” How natural do you find it to focus on God’s teachings rather than on “selfish gain?” How might shifting your heart’s attention to God’s statutes trigger a healthy midlife crisis for you right now?
Read Darren Lippe’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com
Weekly Prayer:
Dear God, many times I wish you would just write out in the clouds what you want me to do. Wouldn’t that be easier? Then I realize that you don’t want me to be a passive robot, spinelessly following orders, but a fully alive human being choosing to walk with you each day. Thank you for that freedom. Guide me in that awesome responsibility. Amen.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.
