Psalm 119:113–120 113SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: But thy law do I love. 114Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. 115Depart from me, ye evildoers: For I will keep the commandments of my God. 116Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: And let me not be ashamed of my hope. 117Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe: And I will have respect unto thy statutes continually. 118Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: For their deceit is falsehood. 119Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: Therefore I love thy testimonies. 120My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; And I am afraid of thy judgments.
Recently I have been trying to start a new hobby, mountain biking.
To my surprise, I have not exactly picked it up as easily as I had thought I would. I had ridden a bicycle thirty years ago but that doesn’t help me now.
I keep wrecking!
Just the other day, I was traversing up a twisting trail covered with roots and rocks then suddenly found myself on my back looking up at limbs and sky. A friend told me my problem and frankly, it seems counterintuitive, he said that my lack of experience makes me timid, too slow, and indecisive.
He said I would wreck less if I picked a path and picked up the pace.
According to my friend's mountain bike wisdom, indecision and lack of commitment to my course cause me to crash.
I believe there is a spiritual principle to be gained from his mountain biking wisdom and we see it in today’s Psalm.
Look at how the Psalmist begins this stanza.
Psalm 119:113 I hate vain thoughts: But thy law do I love.
I looked up the meaning of the Hebrew word translated “vain thoughts” and it means “divided” or “half-hearted”.
The useless thoughts the Psalmist hates are the back and forth thoughts of a person not committed to a path. The Scriptures tell us that this attitude is a way toward a wreck, not committing to your path will impede your progress. If you are indecisive every hindrance will either slow you or halt you completely. You will find yourself questioning your commitment continually.
That is why James warns us about indecision and a lack of resolve, he calls it being “double minded”
James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Like the mountain biker, the Christian traveler will always be unstable until he commits completely to his path and picks up the pace.
Here lies a great problem, we all have times of doubt and double-mindedness if we are completely honest. But the Psalmist had the answer, the Lord and his Word.
Psalm 119:113–114 113I hate vain thoughts: But thy law do I love. 114Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.
Though I am often unstable, I have a steady Savior upon whom I can depend.
Dear reader, I have determined to use some mountain biking wisdom in my spiritual life. I will pick the path of God’s direction and pick up the pace.
Anybody else wanna join me?
Scripture Readings for 11/3/20
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