Morning Devotion for the Season after Pentecost
August 3, 2022
Invitatory
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him.
Reading - Psalm 119: 97-112
Oh, how I love your law! *
all the day long it is in my mind.
Your commandment has made me wiser than my enemies, *
and it is always with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers, *
for your decrees are my study.
I am wiser than the elders, *
because I observe your commandments.
I restrain my feet from every evil way, *
that I may keep your word.
I do not shrink from your judgments, *
because you yourself have taught me.
How sweet are your words to my taste! *
they are sweeter than honey to my mouth.
Through your commandments I gain understanding; *
therefore I hate every lying way.
Your word is a lantern to my feet *
and a light upon my path.
I have sworn and am determined *
to keep your righteous judgments.
I am deeply troubled; *
preserve my life, O Lord, according to your word.
Accept, O Lord, the willing tribute of my lips, *
and teach me your judgments.
My life is always in my hand, *
yet I do not forget your law.
The wicked have set a trap for me, *
but I have not strayed from your commandments.
Your decrees are my inheritance for ever; *
truly, they are the joy of my heart.
I have applied my heart to fulfill your statutes *
for ever and to the end.
Meditation - Winnie Smith
Children want rules. They want parameters. Guardrails. They may not explicitly say this, but there is a sense of comfort knowing how far one can push, how much freedom one has before an authority - an adult - steps in to say “enough.” The writer of today’s appointed psalm would likely agree. Psalm 119 is an ode to the law and to the comforting limitations God gives us through the law. The longest psalm and longest chapter in the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 119 is as much an exercise in linguistic arts and wordplay skill as it is a guideline by which to live. Each of the twenty-two stanzas that make up this text begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, so it is one long acrostic poem. While the psalm is repetitive and does place great emphasis on its form (some might say more emphasis than on its content), its teaching is still relevant to us.
My seminary professor of the Old Testament, who focused much of her biblical studies on Psalms, referred to 119 as “I love the law.” That is about the most concise way to title this text. For 176 verses, we are reminded that the rules set up by God are to be loved and that they are the way to safety and freedom. Verse 101 says “I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. And verse 109, “my life is always in my hand, yet I do not forget your law.” Like a young child, the psalmist knows that by following God’s law, s/he is shielded from danger and wrongdoing. Temptations come, but the law provides a safety net, a limit past which the psalmist will dare not go.
The “law” in this psalm is not necessarily punitive; it does not imply legal repercussions for wrongdoing. In Psalm 119, law is used interchangeably with words like testimonies, ways, precepts, statutes, and commandments. God’s law is not a societal code, but rather a reminder of the promise - the covenant - between God and God’s people. We would be faithful and God would protect us. Verse 36 states, “turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain.” This is the crux of the law: it is an invitation to a comprehensive way of living. It opens the door to a life of freedom with God, lived outward, rather than a life dominated by selfishness. It provides the framework we need - much like the framework a young child might need - to thrive. The law shows us just how much freedom there is when we surrender to a way of life that God calls us to live. “Oh, how I love your law” (v. 97).
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
