Order my steps...

Our choir occasionally sings a song called Order My Steps; it's one I love.  The words came to mind as I read over this passage once more - Psalm 119:33-40.

(You can listen and see the full song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNjKdfjUaw0&feature=related)

Order my steps in Your Word, dear Lord; lead me, guide me, everyday.
Send Your anointing, Father, I pray; order my steps in Your Word.
Please order my steps in Your word.

Humbly I ask Thee, teach me Your will; while You are working, help me be still.
Though Satan is busy, God is real.  Order my steps in Your word.
Please order my steps in Your word.

Bridle my tongue, let my words edify; let the words of my mouth be acceptable in Thy sight.
Take charge of my thoughts, both day and night; order my steps in Your Word.
Please order my steps in Your Word.


I believe the Psalmist would like this song, too!  Keep me in order, Lord.  Help me get first things first, so second things won't be hindered.  One, before two.  Keep me in order ...


Looking at Psalm 119:33-40


Verse 33 - Only when You are my teacher, Lord, driving home the truths of Your Word, instructing my spirit by Your Spirit, only then will I keep it to the end - the end of this earthly life of mine, yes, but also the end of this day, the end of this challenge, the end of this trial, this heartache, the end of this sorrow, or the end of this joy.  My own human understanding of Your Words is shallow, and influenced by my own prejudices, desires, and emotions.  The same is true of every human teacher.  But You, Lord, are truth ... the way, the truth, and the life.  You will teach me only truth ... and Your truth will set me free from those prejudices, desires, and emotions of mine.  So teach me, O Lord, the way.  First, You teach.  Second, I will keep.  Order my steps, Lord.


Verse 34 - Only a true, clear understanding of truth, that comes only from Your Spirit, can strengthen me, enable me to not just keep "the letter of Your Law," but to "observe It with my whole heart."  Only then, when my whole heart is engaged, do I find myself delighting in it .. walking in Your ways with joy!  Otherwise, keeping Your Law becomes drudgery, wearisome beyond words.


Verse 35 - Only when I delight in Your commandments will I experience You powerfully giving me aid and strength to keep in Your path.  The delighting comes first, then You  "make me walk in the path of Your commandments."  And I can only delight in those commandments when You've given me a clear understanding of Your truth, Your ways - an understanding of how You love us, how you only give commands that result in our good, how you use our obedience to bless us beyond measure, bringing benefit to our lives that cannot be numbered.  That understanding allows me to delight in the commandment, even though that delight may be coupled with tears, obeying while clinging to Your promises and Your character, leaning not on my own understanding.


Verse 36, in my mind, seems directly related to verse 35 - the delighting.  Only when I allow You to turn my heart, incline my heart, to Your testimonies will I find myself content.  First Timothy tells us that "Godliness with contentment is great gain," and how true I have found that to be!  "Godliness" on its own has no joy.  "Godliness" on its own is the drudgery we've already mentioned.  It's so very wearisome!  But "Godliness with contentment" brings great joy, peace, and deep-down fulfillment.  Contentment seems the direct opposite of the word used here in this verse - covetousness.  When I am contented, I am giving no thought to what others have - whether in status, possessions, or situation - but I'm simply enjoying what God has placed in my own life.  I'm too busy counting my own blessings to be grumbling, in spirit or words, over what I don't have.  This verse seems to tell me that if I will allow Your Spirit, Lord, to incline my heart to Your Word, Your testimonies, I will escape covetousness, enabling me to experience that Godliness with contentment that brings great joy and peace.  Amen, Lord!  Let it be so!  Keep me in the right order, Lord; order my steps!


Verse 37 - Job tells us that he made a covenant with his eyes, in governing his mind and heart.  The Psalmist said, "I will set no worthless thing before mine eyes."  This verse I'm considering here seems to instruct me that if I want to be revived in the Lord's Way - to be restored from a depressed, inactive, unused state; to become active and flourishing again (Webster's Dictionary) - I must urgently seek the Lord's enabling and allow Him to turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things.  The word "worthless" is crucial here.  It doesn't say to turn our eyes from evil things - although that is certainly included.  "Worthless" incorporates a much bigger picture.  As I apply this adjective to books, movies, hobbies and activities, seeking to be brutally honest, I can clearly see that many things I would not describe as "evil," are simply of no true value or use; they are worthless.  They are not things that You use to restore my mind and cause me to flourish in Your way.  These "worthless" things are not what You use to transform me, by the renewing of my mind!  (Romans 12:2)  Without the renewing of my mind, I am unable to discern what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.  And without that, I am totally floundering in my journey, wandering back and forth between what seems good to me and what seems good to someone else.  There is, indeed, "a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death-" eternal death, yes, for those who do not own Him as Lord and Savior, but even for His child, following our own way brings death - death of joy, death of peace, death of fulfillment, death of contentment.  So ... once again, Lord, order my steps.  I ask you to work and move within my heart, turning my eyes away from anything and everything that is worthless.  Then, Lord, I will look for Your reviving, as You cause me to flourish in Your way.  First things first, Lord; order my steps!


Verse 38 - When I choose to live my life in the fear of the Lord, allowing a holy fear of the Lord to govern all my thinking and choices, then You will establish Your Word in my heart.  First - I choose the fear of the Lord.  Second - You, then, establish Your Word in Your servant.  Keep me in order, Lord; order my steps!


Verse 39 - First, when I acknowledge that Your judgments are good, then, second, I'm in a position for You to turn away my reproach.


Verse 40 - When I long for your precepts, then You will revive me in Your righteousness.  One, then two. Longman's online dictionary says to long for something is "to want something very much, especially when it seems unlikely to happen soon."  Another definition is "to feel a strong yearning."  Yet another reads, "an earnest, strong desire or craving."  When I get to that place in longing for the precepts, commands and principles, of God's Word, then I can look to Him, with expectancy, to be revived in His righteousness... to flourish in it!


As I finish up this time in God's Word  -  this preparation for today's journey  -  I seem to hear the voice of the Commander, calling out with authority and strength, "March!  One, two, one, two, one, two ...."  May it be so in my journey this day, Lord!  Order my steps!


May each heart that spends time in Your Word today, Lord, be encouraged and strengthened for their own journey this day.  Amen and Amen.