Psalm 119:1-8 Take my Inadequacies Lord!

Psalm 119:1 “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.” (NASB)
Psalm 119:8 “I shall keep Your statutes; Do not forsake me utterly!”(NASB)

Have you ever been watching a show on television, listening to music, or playing a video game and you catch yourself starting to wonder and doubt that despite being able to do all your favorite activities, besides the relative ease and comfort that you are in, that maybe -just maybe – there is something more out there, something bigger that you can't just quite figure out? Perhaps you have found yourself quietly wondering and thinking, and in response to your thoughts you turned up the volume on music or television, started playing the game more furiously, and in general threw yourself more into whatever it was you were doing. If you have, you have found yourself in good company. I know that I have done so and so has good King David!

Have you found yourself despairing of yourself? Have you noticed that you are not truly whole and complete? Have you discovered that you are unable to meet the goals, the ideals, the measurements you have set for yourself? Have you found that you are unable to be blameless, truly blameless and walk your walk like some of those around you? Perhaps you see others whose walk seems to mirror Christ wholly and solely while you seem hard pressed to do the vary basics such as trust Him and not fibbing, coveting, or gossiping? Again, if you have then you are in good company for you stand in the multitude with myself, the apostles Peter and Paul, and King David.

This psalm deals with those feelings of inadequacy. In this Psalm, there are 22 sections (each section corresponds with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet) of 8 verses each, dealing with the various stages of life that David went through. In fact, Cassiodourus, an early author, claims that this one psalm contains the whole emotions and sentiments of all the prophets, apostles, and martyrs who have ever lived; and Augustine believed that this same psalm contains the entirety of the morality in the Gospels and all the rules for conduct in every day life!

In this section, Aleph, David starts off with a cry from his heart for something more, something greater, something he wants, but can't achieve on his own and what is more, he sets it up in the first position, associating it with strength and sacrifice, and investment (the connotations of the letter “Aleph”). He cries out “Oh that my ways may be established to keep Your statutes! Then I shall not be ashamed when I look upon your commandments.” (verses 5-6) He desperately longs to be established in the realm and law of God, because that is the only place he can see anything of worth and value coming from. That is a position of true strength, a place where he must find himself before anything else happens. Then he finishes this section half pleading, half vowing that hopefully he will keep God's statutes. If God, his strength aids him, he will be able to keep them. Furthermore he begs God to not forsake him as he deserves for not following and walking in the way of blamelessness and integrity.

If David felt all this and desired all this, then maybe we should take a closer look at it since it also applies to us. We all have fallen short and have found ourselves inadequate in our own lives both to the expectations on us and in our walk with Christ. We too need to cry out and seek to place ourselves in that steadfast way, centered in the holiness of Christ that our walk will be blameless as we keep His testimonies. We too need to praise Him with an upright heart no matter the position we find ourselves in as we cry out to God to aid us.

In doubt and temptation I rest, Lord, in Thee;
My hand is in Thy hand, Thou carest for me;
My soul with Thy counsel through life Thou wilt guide,
And afterward make me in glory abide.