Living in the Spirit
November 28, 2018
Scripture Reading: Psalm 25:1-10
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. –Psalm 25:4-5, 8-10
The NRSV uses the word “make” in the scripture above to describe the action we are asking of the Lord. Other translations use the word “teach”. The Hebrew word used is a root word and means to exercise in, learn*. I am not sure that making anyone do anything ever works in the long term and may actually create a negative experience. I get the idea of exercising until something becomes routine. My first session of physical therapy following knee replacement surgery began with riding a recumbent bike. My therapist did not force me to turn those pedals but matter-of-factly assured me that it was the best and quickest way for me to return to walking normally. I did make myself pedal with those first few rotations coming very slowly and painfully. The motion resulted in the pain easing and my speed increasing. That was my norm for several sessions as the pain decreased and my speed increased until eventually the pain was gone. I now sound like a broken record when people facing knee replacement ask me for advice regarding how to deal with the surgery when I always say, “Do the therapy.”
Facing our sins, our missing the mark, our separation from God, whatever we want to call it can be painful. I think what the psalmist is trying to say is that dealing with our sin heals the wounds that prevent us from walking the paths that God lays out for us to a fuller and richer life. None of this recovery happens by accident. We must be intentional about our efforts first to identify the issues and then to reshape our lives to avoid their traps. God shows us the way through scripture and prayer and the presence of the Holy Spirit and we exercise within God’s guidelines until we have turned away from that which holds us back from our full potential as children of God.
Prayer: Walk with me, O Lord, as I work to grow in truth and in grace in your service. Amen.
*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3925.htm