“A plea for understanding”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Psalm 119:121-144 (Forward, p. 17) CEV p. 632
vpOften today, within the public discourse, especially from people who feel particularly beleaguered or set upon or hard done by, one will hear a plea for understanding—something like, “Please, someone, hear me, hear me out, hear what I am going through or what I have experienced”.
In the three stanzas of today’s psalm we likewise hear a plea for understanding, but this time it is different. Instead of a plea from a person to be heard, to be understood, it is a plea from the psalmist to understand God and His ways, His teachings and commandments:
“Show your love for me, your servant, and teach me your laws. I serve you, so let me understand your teachings” (verses 124-125);
“Your teachings are wonderful, and I respect them all. Understanding your word brings light to the minds of ordinary people. I honestly want to know everything you teach” (verses 129-131);
“Smile on me, your servant, and teach me your laws” (verse 135);
“Your word to me, your servant, is like pure gold. I treasure what you say. Everyone calls me a nobody, but I remember your laws. You will always do right, and your teachings are true. I am in deep distress, but I love your teachings. Your rules are always fair. Help me to understand them and live” (verses 140-144).
And notice the context: four times in the verses quoted above, plus one other time, the psalmist calls himself God’s servants or mentions that he serves God. That, surely, gives something by way of a ground, a basis, for his plea for understanding. If he is indeed God’s servant, is indeed trying to do as God wants, then knowing and understanding His will is prerequisite, necessary, for doing so. As so too it is for us, who also claim to be His servants—as we pray, ‘Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’.
And our psalm is dedicated to doing this, come what may, yes, even if he is mistreated or maligned or slandered. And, there is additional reason for his desire for understanding. Not only would it enable him to more faithfully serve his God, the laws and commands are in themselves true and fair and incredibly wonderful and worthwhile. To him, they are like pure gold. Quite easily a person could be dedicated to serving a tyrant, an evil, corrupt, and diabolical leader but one whose character is terribly flawed and whose policies and dictates are anything but good and generous, but this is not at all like our God. We serve a God who is good and righteous, faithful and true, and so we serve Him out of grateful and loving and ready hearts. Amen.
Forward notes: “The righteousness of your decrees is everlasting; grant me understanding, that I may live” (verse 144).
“My children and I used to play a lot of board games when they were little, and occasionally, if I am lucky, those teenagers will play a game with me now. There is a lot of laughter, strategy, fellowship, and life-sharing when you play a board game.
“Sometimes when we’re playing, I can feel myself getting pulled to other things. I need to grade papers and wash the dishes. I want to catch up on those last three episodes of whatever show I’m binging.
“But those things are distractions from how we are truly called to live. Life is with loved ones. They will not be around forever, and every moment counts. Make time for what’s important. Yes, the decrees are around forever, and there will be an afterlife, but this moment is only going to happen once. Life isn’t perfect all the time, but we can’t forget to live.
Moving Forward: “Turn off the TV and your smart phone and put away your to-do lists. Instead, spend time with your loved ones, in conversation, during board games, or on a hike.”