Teach Me Your Ways

Psalms 86:11-13

Teach me Your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to Your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor You.
With all my heart I will praise You, O Lord my God.
I will give glory to Your name forever,
for Your love for me is very great.
You have rescued me from the depths of death.

The 86th Psalm has been one of my favorite chapters in the Bible since I first read it.  A prayer of David that we can probably all relate to in one way or another.  This morning I didn't know what to read and opened my Bible to this passage.  I thought it was funny because in my Bible that I usually read it wouldn't surprise me that it falls open to this passage.  This morning however, I picked up my new Bible and once I said....God please show me what to read this morning....I turned right to Psalm 86.  Coincidence....no, I don't believe so.  I've been awake since 3 a.m. struggling within myself with many things.  So....

I read through the prayer not giving it much thought.  Then I read verse 8 and thought about how in the Old Testament they made statues of gold for their gods....sacrificed people to the pagan gods....and they received nothing good in return.  Then the above verses caught my attention and I realized that this section was what I was to really pay attention to.  The words of verses 11-13 are more than just words....

11~Teach me Your ways, O Lord, 
that I may live according to Your truth! 

I reread this verse knowing that this is where I am supposed to start.  This is what it's all about for me this year....and the rest of my life.  Concentrating on what the Lord has for me....what He wants to teach me and what I need to learn.  I have been failing in this way so badly for a long time now. 

Here are some things that I always need to remember....

Be diligent to learn and live by His ways....not mine.
Read and study His Word daily....until it is so deeply ingrained in me that His words come alive in me.  So that nothing else comes before Him in my life. 
Praise Him no matter what life brings my way.  He will be my heart and I will always know....beyond any doubt....how deep His love is for me. 
He will become greater and greater in my life as I let Him become deeper and deeper ingrained in me. 
He has rescued me from death....and He does love me.  It doesn't matter where my thought process goes....I always need to remember that this is the truth....His truth.

Another verse that comes to mind this morning....that I believe is confirmation from the Lord that this is from Him.

2 Timothy 2:15

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive His approval.
Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly
explains the word of truth.

Life Application Study Bible Note

Because God will examine what kind of workers we have been for Him, we should build our lives on His Word and build His Word into our lives. It alone tells us how to live for Him and serve Him. Believers who ignore the Bible will certainly be ashamed at the judgement.  Consistent and diligent study of God's Word is vital; otherwise we will be lulled into neglecting God and our true purpose for living.

The King James version says it this way....the way I actually remember it from my younger years.

2 Timothy 2:15

Study to show thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth, not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the Word of truth.

"until we see JESUS....face to face"