Psalm 119:80
May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame. Psalm 119:80
This idea of blamelessness reminds us of the very beginning of this Psalm.
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! – Psalm 119:1 ESV
Only one person has lived a blameless life; that was Jesus. So, the substance of this verse must be viewed through that lens. For me to not be put to shame and be blameless in my heart, I must put my faith in the one who is blameless.
…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2 ESV
“May my heart be blameless in your statutes,” The psalmist is pointing us to the coming of Jesus. He can see past the law and at the need for a Savior to take the place of the ritualistic animal sacrifices of his day. He is foretelling the coming of the true and perfect Lamb of God, Jesus.
“…that I may not be put to shame.” Additionally, he is pointing to the one sin problem that has haunted man since Adam and Eve fell in Genesis 3. Shame is a powerful scheme of the devil and as old as our original parents. The message of shame is “I am a mistake.”
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. – Genesis 3:7 ESV
There is no room for self-reliance or self-will as a pathway to righteousness. There is no hiding and no fancy, Instagram-worthy fig leaves to cover ourselves. True righteousness is found in being grafted into the only true vine, Jesus.
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5 ESV
Self-will, self-righteousness, self-confidence, self-centeredness, self-focus, and self-reliance are all looking in the wrong direction. Consider what Paul Miller has to say about the difference between self-will and praying to our Father, the Creator God.
"Self-will and prayer are both ways of getting things done. At the center of self-will is me, carving a world in my image, but at the center of prayer is God, carving me in his Son's image." Paul Miller "A Praying Life"
If you are suffering because of your own selfish behavior, the selfishness of another or just living in a selfish world, consider reaching out to someone on the Burke Care team.
God, thank You for providing a way out of my self-centered sinfulness. Keep evil from me, keep me away from temptation. Provide me what is needful for me today. Forgive my sins as I look to forgive those around me. Teach me the way of loving others, for Your glory and my good. Amen.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. – 2 Corinthians 10:13 ESV
Application Questions:
1. Where is my behavior still rooted in self-will and selfishness?
2. How does my self-centeredness affect those in my friend group?
3. In what ways can I begin being others-focused?
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