BUT WHAT IF I KNOW BEST?

July 3, 2017

BUT WHAT IF I KNOW BEST?

Psalm 119:33–40

Kelsey Inman

Central Truth

It is an honor that we get to follow the ways of the Lord; and, although His ways are sometimes difficult to follow, in the end God knows best and loves us more than we could ever know.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
and I will keep it to the end.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
(Psalm 119:33-34)

He

33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes;
    and I will keep it to the end.^{1

119:33
Or keep it as my reward}
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
    and observe it with my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments,
    for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies,
    and not to selfish gain!
37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
    and give me life in your ways.
38 Confirm to your servant your promise,
    that you may be feared.
39 Turn away the reproach that I dread,
    for your rules are good.
40 Behold, I long for your precepts;
    in your righteousness give me life!

Footnotes

[1] 119:33 Or keep it as my reward

Growing up, even well into my teen years, I did what I wanted to do, and often times, the exact opposite of what my parents wanted me to do. Being the mature and wise 13-year-old I was, I had it in my head that I knew best, and there was no way my parents could have ANY idea about what was going on in my world. They were old and out of touch, and I wasn’t sure they had ever not been adults.

Often we look at God this way—like He doesn’t truly understand or care what’s going on at work or in our relationships. We slip into believing that, because the Bible was written SO long ago, things are DIFFERENT now. But as we grow in our understanding of God and mature as believers, we soon find out that this isn't true. God loves us more than we could love ourselves, and not only that, but He delights in us (Zephaniah 3:17). He is pleased with us and wants to spend time with us. Psalm 119:33-34 talks about keeping God’s law until the very end and observing it with our whole hearts. He does this, not because He’s some mean and controlling guy in the sky, but because He loves us and knows it will go well for us if we obey His perfect law.

While my parents are not God and would never claim to be perfect, they, too, had rules for me because they knew what was best for me. They loved me enough to discipline me and to correct my behavior. As I have grown up, I have come to see that it was I who lacked understanding, not my parents. I was too self-focused to recognize my parents' wisdom and how much they loved me. In the same way, if we can turn our focus from ourselves toward God, we will begin to see His wisdom and how much He loves us. We are blessed that God has given us laws and statutes to follow to protect us from ourselves and to glorify Him with our lives.

1. What are some areas in your life in which you think you "know better" than God?

2. What’s an example of a lesson you have learned from following your own ways instead of the laws or statutes God has put in place? How did that turn out?

3. What does it look like for you to fully trust God and His commandments?