Are You Eager to Hear His Next Command?
I haven’t read Psalm 119 in a while. And when I have, I don’t think I’ve read it carefully enough.
If you’ve been following our church reading plan, we just went through Psalm 119, but we did it section by section, breaking it up. I think it’s the first time I’ve “thought” my way through reading it.
A couple of days ago I read v. 131 in the New Living Translation. And a wonderful picture came to my mind.
"I pant with expectation, longing for your commands.” – Psalm 119:131
If you’ve ever worked with a well trained dog, you know the picture. The old saying that “well trained dogs are happier dogs” is very true. By their nature, dogs love having a master, and they love to follow directions. It’s like play time for them. They will sit, wagging their tail, eagerly looking at their master, panting with expectation for the next command. We’ve had dogs that were so well trained that we would put a treat on their nose and they would wait for us to say, “Ok” before they would flip it into their mouths––and they loved it! You’ve all seen a dog bring a toy and set it down, then whine and pant and wait for you to throw it again for them to bring it back.
That’s how David (most believe David is the author) looked to God and his directions, particularly during tough times in his life.
On the contrary, I fear that too many of us view God’s commands as hard to follow, sometimes disappointing. Doing what he wants gets in the way of our plans. Because of that, sometimes we rationalize our choices and say things like, “I know what the Bible says but God wants me to be happy.” Then we go ahead and do our own thing.
I wonder if God compares teaching us to training cats, instead of dogs.
In truth, God’s commands give life. Doing what he says is always best for us. Without his instructions, we wander aimlessly in life, trying to make sense of it all. But recognizing him as our master and eagerly anticipating his instructions puts it back together. I love verse 143...
"As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands."
His way really is the answer. Yes, life is filled with stress. Sometimes the pressure of responsibility and relationships overload us. But the way to freedom is to let go of it by turning the outcome over to God. You do that by eagerly listening to his instructions and doing what he says. Submission to God puts the burden on him. And as Jesus said, he’s got really strong shoulders. He can handle it.
Do you eagerly anticipate God’s instruction? Are you panting with expectation, looking to him, asking about your next move? Or are you annoyed by the interruption when his way contradicts yours?