Psalm 119:48
I will lift up my hands towards your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes. Psalm 119:48
The Psalmist appears to be saying, “Not only do Your commandments give me a feeling of delight (Psalm 119:17), but Your commandments also direct my hands in my daily work.”
“I will lift up my hands…” It as if the Psalmist is giving his hands as instruments to God’s glory.
“…towards your commandments, which I love,” He recognizes that his love for God’s commandments includes the toil of his hands in daily life.
“…and I will meditate on your statutes.” It is if the Psalmist desires to align all he has with God’s commandments and statutes. He appears to be willing to surrender all to follow God’s guidance and direction.
When we look with compassion and empathy on the Psalmist’s declarations in verse 47-48, we see a man who wants to give God his all. He appears to be experiencing a moment of full abandonment towards the things of God. It is important for us to recognize that there are times in our life where we also feel this 100% commitment to the gospel. But there are more times where we do not.
And God knows this…
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, -- Romans 3:23 ESV
There is something in the air we breathe in today’s culture that demands performance, demands excellence, demands full intellectual understanding. But life does not actually work that way. I talk with individuals who want answers as to how to move forward without making any mistakes. They want a perfect answer before going forward. Unfortunately, a major part of learning is making mistakes.
The rediscovered answer to the question, “What should I do?” is “Have you considered bringing glory to God?”
I know I sound like a wise crack but in today’s culture giving “my opinion” is too costly and too prone to error. What do I know about working in a professional career as a young adult in 2024? All my experience is based on the 1990’s, at best.
Reframing the horizontal circumstances of my life vertically is of utmost importance. Asking “What do I want to do?’ is a flawed question to me. I need to ask, “What brings glory to God?” And this is true of my feelings and my actions. If giving my all to God is my desire, I need to know what He considers to be most important (not what I think is most important).
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
--1 Corinthians 15:3-4 ESV
If you are struggling with the idea of what is “of first importance” in your life, Burke Care would love to hear your story. Please consider talking with the Burke Care team soon.
Heavenly Father, I am far from perfect, but You are perfectly perfect in all things. Teach me to seek Your ways and not my own. Make me be reminded of the gospel of grace that You provided through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. And I will hold tightly to that until His return.
Application Questions:
What are some things that I hold on to and make “of first importance” in this world?
How does focusing on what I want to do keep me from pursuing what God has for me?
When are times that I get into a performance mindset and then feel badly when I fall short?
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