Psalm 119:7 I will praise you with an upright heart when I learn your righteous judgments.
Sometimes when we read the Psalms, we may not grasp what God wants to teach us. We just read the words because they sound nice, but we often lose interest and stop reading.
At times, we come across lines like “Happy is the man whose way is blameless,” and we pause, realizing we aren’t perfect.
The Psalmist isn’t bragging about being good; he’s showing his love for God and His law. This reminds us that true happiness comes from recognizing the grace of Jesus. Our gratitude should lead us to honor and follow God’s law.
We can count on His promises. As believers our new life means living differently from our old life.
Essentially, by loving and following God’s law we are offering praise to Him.
I will praise You with an upright heart
Let me share a quick story.
Mamie and George are an older couple married for 40 years. During a recent visit, I saw Mamie carefully removing wet towels from the washer and shaking them out before putting them in the dryer. After she did this with a few towels, I asked her why she was being so meticulous.
She said, “I’m looking for stray socks. George prefers I that I don’t dry his socks because it ruins them and makes them slip down while he works. I used to complain, but then I read Colossians 3:23. I love George, but I want to do my best for Jesus first. By obeying Him, the people around me see the beauty of Jesus.”
I know that disrespecting George also dishonors my Savior. So, I will never knowingly put a sock in the dryer.”
That’s right. Colossians 3:23 fits right in with God’s precepts. Mamie knows the secret of treasuring God’s law. She knows this because she knows the rest of Psalm 119:7.
when I learn Your righteous judgments
Mamie has devoted herself to knowing God’s Word and hiding it in her heart. George lives the very same way for God and for Mamie.
The world would look at Mamie and George and call them silly. But can you think of a better way to live to honor our Lord?
Honor God even when others don’t see or hear you.
That’s proof of a faithful heart.
Scripture taken from CSB version of the Holy Bible.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 