(29) Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me
thy law graciously.
Lying
- (8267 sheqer, untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial):)
Before
we understand the way of truth, the way of lying/error must be purged from us.
We cannot walk in the way of lying and be living in God's law. We must step off
the way of lying and walk in the way of truth. Thankfully, the Lord is there to
help us change from one path to the other.
(29) Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me
thy law graciously.
(30) I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments
have I laid before me.
"Remove
from me the way of lying . . . I have chosen the way of truth." There are
two ways in which we can choose to walk. We are already on the path of lying
once born, but God has given us the option to choose the way of truth.
To
walk in the way of truth, we must keep God's Word before us. If we refuse to
keep God's Word, we will inevitably start to walk in the way of lying once
more.
(31) I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD,
put me not to shame.
Once
we're on this path of truth, are we sticking there? "Stuck" is an
active term: "1692 dabaq, to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere; figuratively,
to catch by pursuit:" Our lives must be inseparable from the Word of God.
Even when others accuse us and tempt us, we should not be ashamed to stick to
the Word of God - when it is considered unpopular or "old-fashioned"
and ignored by others.
Other
uses of the Hebrew word "Dabaq:"
"For if ye shall
diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love
the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will
the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess
greater nations and mightier than yourselves." (Deuteronomy 11:22-23)
"Ye shall walk after the
Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and
ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him." (Deuteronomy 13:4)
"That thou mayest love
the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest
cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou
mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." (Deuteronomy 30:17)
"But take diligent heed
to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged
you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his
commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and
with all your soul." (Joshua 22:5)
"But cleave unto the Lord
your God, as ye have done unto this day." (Joshua 23:8)
"Else if ye do in any
wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that
remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and
they to you:" (Joshua 23:12)
"Of the nations concerning
which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them,
neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart
after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love." (1 Kings 11:2)
"Nevertheless he cleaved
unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he
departed not therefrom." (2 Kings 3:3)
"My soul followeth hard
after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me." (Psalm 63:8)
It
is clear that we will cleave to one way or another: to God's way or the world's
way, to God or to gods. But we must realize that this cleaving doesn't happen
by default; we choose where we will
cleave.
(32) I will run the way of thy commandments, when
thou shalt enlarge my heart.
Continuing on the thought of the way of truth or the way of
lying, we are in a race. There are several verses that indicate life as
running:
"Know
ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So
run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we
an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as
one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into
subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself
should be a castaway." (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
"Ye
did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This
persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump." (Galatians 5:7-9)
"Do
all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and
harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and
perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the
word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in
vain, neither laboured in vain." (Philippians 2:14-16)
"Wherefore
seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us
lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us
run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author
and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of
God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)
"Wherein
they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot,
speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the
quick and the dead." (1 Peter 4:4-5)
In a sense, God "broadened" our heart at
salvation. Are we being faithful to now run in His ways?
2 comments:
What a great reminder! Thank you so much for sharing, I loved reading your in depth post!
@ Bibi,
Praise the Lord! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
~Amanda
"He must increase, but I must decrease." John 3:30
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