2007-03-24 - All Day Long

Psalm 25:4, 5, "Show me your ways O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long."

It is a common question among Christians respecting almost any given topic, "What is the will of God?" This is not a bad question. Sometimes we ask this question even when we know God's will, don't like God's will, and are looking for other options. Those times the question as to what is God's will is a dumb question. There are certain things that are clearly not within His will, but the questions "Should I take this job in this city?" Or, "How would the Lord have me serve in His church?" are not dumb questions. Seeking His will, desiring to be walking in His way and on His path, are good ideas, and something we should regularly try to find and persevere in.

This is a Psalm of David, but in it we see some continuity in how the servant of God seeks the wisdom of God. David is not the first to desire to know the ways of the Lord. In Exodus 33:13 we read of Moses saying, "Teach me your ways." It is an interesting comment by Moses in this passage. He does not just ask to be taught the ways of the Lord. He had already been striving to follow the way of the Lord. He says, "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways, so I may know you and continue to find favor with you." It is interesting that Moses was already serving the Lord, and seeking to be His servant, when he asks for further clarification, "teach me your ways," and then the reason is given that he might continue to find favor with God, be in His path, and guided by his truth.

Let us not miss this one other phrase in what Moses says in this verse (Exodus 33:13). He says that he desires to know God's ways that he might know God. He wanted to learn God's ways so that he might better know the Lord. This, I think, we can say is also David's desire in this Psalm. Why else would David wish to be walking in the ways of the Lord, knowing His paths, and guided by His truth, except that he might know better the One in whom he had placed all his hope? Surely, in the end, David wishes not only to faithfully follow the Lord in his life, but also to know Him better and better in his life and practice.

This should also be our desire. We should seek to know the Lord. Yes, we should desire to know His ways and walk in His paths, and be guided in His truth, but in the end we do these things that we might know the Lord better and glorify Him more. Do you also desire to know the Lord and His ways, His paths, and to be guided by His truth? It is vital that you do. It is essential that these desires also become your desires. You might say I am being extra demanding or super spiritual. You might think that only those "over the top," Christians have such desires and strive for such a faith. I don't think this is true. It is not some great level of spirituality that has such desires. It is to be the desire of all followers of Christ who seek eternal life. Remember the words of Christ in John 17:3, "Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Knowing God is not something for the fabulously spiritually minded only. It is for all those who would participate in the life that is eternal in Christ. May it be that we seek to know the Lord, be guided by Him to walk in His path, and to have our hope set alone in Him.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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