You have laid down precepts
Psalm 119:4-6 NIV
that are to be fully obeyed.
Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
As a disciple of the Lord Jesus, he calls on me to deny myself, take up my cross, and follow him (Mark 8:34). And I believe this passage from the Psalms is very appropriate for my life as a disciple. Jesus and his apostles have instructed me on how to live as a child of God. Instructions that are to be obeyed fully. And not just when it is convenient.
Like the psalmist, my desire is to be steadfast in obedience to my Lord and his word. To love the Lord my God with all my heart. And to love those he brings into my life. To fully follow the example set down for me by my Lord. And to hide God’s word in my heart, making it a part of all that I say and do.
But how often do I have to confess that I have fallen short? That I have not been faithful to his instruction? That I have chosen my own way rather than his. More often than I care to admit.
But the desire remains. To obey God fully. And to consider his word without feeling shame over my failure to live a life of love. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obedience to God’s word.
