Psalm 119:33-37
Teach me, O LORD, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward Your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your word.
“I do it myself!” Those are the words of one of our children in their early formative years. If you have children of your own, you probably heard the same declaration of independence. The problem is that actual learning seldom takes place in the presence of this “I want to do it myself” attitude.
I once heard the story of a snooty woman of some wealth who had a small son. She wanted only the best for him and always demanded the finest of everything. She hired a nanny for the boy and insisted that he learn to have everything his heart desired. The woman told the nanny that her son was going to go through life as a wealthy man, so he needed to be accustomed to getting what he wanted.
One day the nanny was outside with her young charge when he began to scream at the top of his lungs. His mother flew out into the yard in a rage. “Didn’t I tell you to give my son anything he wanted?” demanded the mother! “Yes madam,” replied the nanny. “I remembered well what you told me. He wanted to play with a bumblebee, so I let him.”
As I read today’s Scripture, I see an important truth. It is the secret to learning the truth from God’s Word. What is this amazing secret? It is being teachable. We cannot be taught until we are willing to be taught. This passage is not asking God to MAKE us do something; rather it shows our submissive attitude toward the process of learning. It is the picture of an eager student who begs the teacher to instruct them. NOT MY WILL, LORD, BUT YOURS BE DONE!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil