Wed, 28 June, 2006: Today’s Bible readings.
With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD!
I will keep your statutes.
The Psalmist cries out to God with his whole heart, desiring to obey God’s word.
What do we learn from this?
What is the significance of crying with your “whole heart”? What is the cry? What does the whole heart mean?
The cry is calling out to God. The Psalmist is praying. If someone is not giving everything they have to a task, we say they are doing it half-heartedly. That is not the way the Psalmist prays. He is praying with all that he has.
We have already seen earlier in Psalm 119 that the Psalmist searches the scriptures until his eyes fail him. He is praying with the same intensity. He prays with all he has.
The Psalmist goes on the ask for the LORD to answer, followed by a promise of obedience. Is this a bargain the Psalmist is making with God? Is he asking for a quid pro quo? If You hear me (meaning grant my prayer), I will then obey.
No. This is not a bargain. The Psalmist is asking for God to grant him strength to be able to obey. If God answers the request, he will be enabled to obey. The Psalmist is not making a bargain with God. Rather, he is asking God to dramatically intervene in his life to save him. The result of this salvation will be that he will be better enabled to serve God.
Where is Christ in this passage?
We find salvation as we call out in faith to Jesus Christ. As we come to Him in faith, He grants us His righteousness and takes away the guilt of our sins. He pays the price for our sins Himself, freeing us from the the punishment due to us.
What should be the result of the salvation we find in Jesus Christ? Obedience! As God enables us, we should obey. That should be the cry of our heart in response to what Jesus Christ has done for us.
