Really Wanting to be Taught

I love the book of Psalms! In the Psalms, we hear the heartbeat of men who love God and serve Him. Probably, the most wonderful chapter of all is the longest, 119. I have read it many times, and each time it is still fresh and new.

One theme among many is how the psalmist wants to be taught.

The psalmist wants God to teach him God’s law, the commandments. He wants to know them so that he can please God. What an attitude!

Read these verses:

• Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law (18).
• Make me to understand the way of thy precepts (27a).
• Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes (33a).
• Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart (34).
• Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments (66).
• I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies (125).

 Can you sense the psalmist’s desire to know God’s laws so that he can obey and enjoy them?

How many of us parents would be thrilled if our kids actually wanted to know the limits, boundaries, and rules of our home so that they could obey them joyfully?

I think God must have been pleased with the psalmist’s wonderful attitude.

The psalmist wanted to know God’s will as expressed in His law. The psalmist wanted to keep that law so that he could please God. He wanted to be taught by God so that he could do whatever would please his Heavenly Father.

Years ago, a neighbor told me he didn’t read the Bible. I asked him why. He said, “because I’m afraid of what I might find.”

The psalmist’s desire was totally different from my neighbor’s. He wanted to know the Word so he could delight in doing God’s will.

May the Lord help us today to have a “psalmist attitude.”