Be good to your servant, that I may live and obey your word. Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. I am only a foreigner in the land. Don't hide your commands from me! I am always overwhelmed with a desire for your regulations. You rebuke the arrogant; those who wander from your commands are cursed. Don't let them scorn and insult me, for I have obeyed your laws. Even princes sit and speak against me, but I will meditate on your decrees. Your laws please me; they give me wise advice. (Psalms 119:17-24 Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.)
I have often felt like a foreigner in this world. I was raised in a different culture from that which I was born into (and now live), and so often I have felt a challenge in my relationships. It seems like society's expectations have been hidden from me and I just don't understand the "rules" that everyone else seems to know intuitively, because the culture in which I was raised did things differently, honored different things, and defined polite behavior differently.
Today in these words from the Psalmist, I'm hearing a similar idea. This world is NOT my home, but having been raised in it, sometimes the right way to live seems foreign - it is quite different from what the world around me believes is best! Because of this, I need God's expectations and the "rules" for living in His society to be spelled out clearly because I can't base my choices for living on what I see around me. So, I can relate to the cry, "Do not hide your commands from me." Understanding this helps me understand better how I can come to "love God's law". That's what helps me know what is expected. As I love God's teachings and seek to better understand them and live them, those teachings can provide comfort and support. When those around me don't understand or even attack me because I'm different, an understanding of God's teachings helps me handle it. They give me "wise advice" for handling challenges and relationships and I am grateful.
Thank you, Father, for your wise advice! Thank you for teaching me how to live in peace and with love for those around me - no matter how they are treating me at any given moment. May I not wander from you and your teachings, Father! I know you can be trusted, and I am grateful.
Today in these words from the Psalmist, I'm hearing a similar idea. This world is NOT my home, but having been raised in it, sometimes the right way to live seems foreign - it is quite different from what the world around me believes is best! Because of this, I need God's expectations and the "rules" for living in His society to be spelled out clearly because I can't base my choices for living on what I see around me. So, I can relate to the cry, "Do not hide your commands from me." Understanding this helps me understand better how I can come to "love God's law". That's what helps me know what is expected. As I love God's teachings and seek to better understand them and live them, those teachings can provide comfort and support. When those around me don't understand or even attack me because I'm different, an understanding of God's teachings helps me handle it. They give me "wise advice" for handling challenges and relationships and I am grateful.
Thank you, Father, for your wise advice! Thank you for teaching me how to live in peace and with love for those around me - no matter how they are treating me at any given moment. May I not wander from you and your teachings, Father! I know you can be trusted, and I am grateful.
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This blog is simply a sharing of my "daily bread" - my daily walk with God. If something I've said has touched your heart, or sparked a new thought, I'd love to hear from you.