Oratio, meditatio, tentatio -these are the principles Martin Luther pulled from Psalm 119 for knowing the Word of God. Prayer, meditation, and trials. I recently had to pick apart this signature psalm for my class, classifying each of the verses into one of the three categories. I thought it might be worth posting...
PRAYER
Verses:
2, 10, 18, 19, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 ,36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 49, 58, 64, 66, 68, 73, 76, 77, 79, 80, 82, 88, 107, 116, 117, 121, 122, 124, 125, 132, 133, 134, 135, 144, 145, 146, 147, 149, 154, 156, 159, 169, 170, 173, 175
10 - With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
18 - Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
28 - My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!
31 - I cling to your testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame!
34 - Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
36 - Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
37 - Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
124 - Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes.
147 - I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your word.
Based on the sheer number of verses in each of the boxes, prayer is the predominant Psalm 119-component in understanding God’s Word. In the limited selection above, the Psalmist prays for God’s assistance in understanding, obeying, desiring, and focusing on the Word. He also prays for help and loving “dealings.” It goes without question that I must rely on the Lord for all growth in, change through, and love for His Word. I must diligently seek to cling to Him in absolute dependence. Though the Psalmist loves the Law, he knows it is not sufficient apart from the intervention of Almighty God. I am responsible to lean into the Author and Perfecter of my faith.
MEDITATION
Verses:
6, 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 23, 24, 27, 30, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 52, 55, 59, 62, 63, 72, 78, 81, 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 109, 111, 112, 114, 120, 128, 148, 162, 167, 171, 172
13 - With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth.
15 – I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 – I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
48 - I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.
52 - When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O LORD.
93 - I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.
95 - The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies.
112 - I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.
162 - I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.
148 - My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,
that I may meditate on your promise.
Meditation, in all of its variations, is the other responsibility the Psalmist pursues in knowing the Word of God. He meditates on it, declares it, fixes his eyes on it, delights in it, remembers it, rejoices in it, and considers it. Meditation is somewhat a matter of practicality. It is difficult to understand the book not read or the sung not heard. God is not limited to this finite quality, but the Psalmist knows he must seek God’s Word. It is to be talked about when sitting and walking and lying down and rising –a sign on your hand, frontlets between your eyes, on the doorposts, and on your gates. The Word of God is best grasped when it permeates my entire life, thoughts and all.
TRIALS
Verses:
3, 5, 8, 9, 28, 42, 50, 51, 53, 54, 61, 65, 67, 69, 70, 71, 75, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 92, 95, 107, 110, 115, 140, 143, 150, 153, 157, 161, 176
28 - My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!
50 - This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
54 - Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my sojourning.
71 - It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
74 - Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
75 – I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
92 - If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
140 - Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it.
143 - Trouble and anguish have found me out, but your commandments are my delight.
153 - Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law.
161 - Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words.
Trials are the blessed work of a faithful, loving God. The Psalmist knows they instruct him in the way of Truth. They are his comfort. He also trusts his trials . Over and over again, I have seen these principles manifested in my life. Promises read my entire life become life-giving and precious through the storms of life. And God’s faithfulness to His Word in the storm only increases my faith in and love for that Word. And I have seen my trials be to the praise of my God in the mouths of those who see them. I can only echo the Psalmist in affirming “that in faithfulness [He has] afflicted me” for my good.
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
A Prayer to Glorify
"Lord, help me to glorify thee; I am poor, help me to glorify thee by contentment; I am sick, help me to give thee honour by patience; I have talents, help me to extol thee by spending them for thee; I have time, Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve thee; I have a heart to feel, Lord, let that heart feel no love but thine, and glow with no flame but affection for thee; I have a head to think, Lord, help me to think of thee and for thee; thou hast put me in this world for something, Lord, show me what that is, and help me to work out my life purpose: I cannot do much, but as the widow put in her two mites, which were all her living, so, Lord, I cast my time and eternity too into thy treasury; I am all thine; take me, and enable me to glorify thee now, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have."
-C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (February 15, Morning)
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
When You Know the Plague of Your Own Heart
1 Kings 8:37-40 
When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.
Last Thursday in my time with the Lord, I read King Solomon’s dedication prayer for the temple, and this passage was one of the sections which really resonated in my heart; specifically, the phrase “when each one knows the plague of his own heart.” I’m typically an ESV advocate, but in this case the wording of the NKJV was more effective at powerfully getting the point across to me. My heart is more than “afflicted” with sin -it’s “plagued” with it. And as soon as I read that word, some flicker of acknowledgement crossed my mind, but I didn’t quite know what to do with it. So, I was greatly encouraged by Solomon’s dedication and went on with my day.
Little did I know how much my Lord would make that phrase painfully real to me. By the end of the day, I knew my heart’s plague of selfishness more acutely than ever before. The first conviction was that which I shared in the previous blog, “Pray First.” But that was only the beginning. The offenses just kept piling up: a selfish prayer request, selfish concern for my own agenda -on multiple occasions, and others. I was so disgusted with my own wretchedness! Yet, at the same time, this “plague insight” caused me to cling to the grace of my Lord all the more. It made the death and resurrection of my Savior all the sweeter!
It occurred to me that more than 2000 years earlier, when Solomon prayed “when each one knows the plague of his own heart”, he had been praying for me. King Solomon, the son of David and wisest of all men, had been praying for Cristi Marie Antholz. What a humbling realization! And how awesome is my Sovereign Lord to ordain such prayers!?! While I praise God for the encouraging blessing of this direct, concrete connection to the Old Testament, I am reminded of and strengthened even more by Jesus’ prayers for me. At Gethsemane, King Jesus, the Son of the Living God and Wisest of all, prayed for me -and even now at the Throne of Grace, He continues to intercede on my behalf.
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
a great High Priest, whose name is Love,
who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
my name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
and tells me of the guilt within,
upward I look, and see him there
who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
my sinful soul is counted free;
for God, the Just, is satisfied
to look on him and pardon me.
Behold him there! the risen Lamb!
My perfect, spotless Righteousness,
the great unchangeable I AM,
the King of glory and of grace!
One with himself, I cannot die;
my soul is purchased by his blood;
my life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ, my Savior and my God.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is good that we should know the plague in our hearts, for such knowledge sends us to our knees before the Lord in helpless confession. Such knowledge makes us to treasure His Grace…to weep in thankfulness for Christ’s sacrifice…to marvel at the prayers of those who have gone before us…and to praise the One who forever intercedes on our behalf. May your plagues turn you to the foot of the Cross!
When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.
Last Thursday in my time with the Lord, I read King Solomon’s dedication prayer for the temple, and this passage was one of the sections which really resonated in my heart; specifically, the phrase “when each one knows the plague of his own heart.” I’m typically an ESV advocate, but in this case the wording of the NKJV was more effective at powerfully getting the point across to me. My heart is more than “afflicted” with sin -it’s “plagued” with it. And as soon as I read that word, some flicker of acknowledgement crossed my mind, but I didn’t quite know what to do with it. So, I was greatly encouraged by Solomon’s dedication and went on with my day.
Little did I know how much my Lord would make that phrase painfully real to me. By the end of the day, I knew my heart’s plague of selfishness more acutely than ever before. The first conviction was that which I shared in the previous blog, “Pray First.” But that was only the beginning. The offenses just kept piling up: a selfish prayer request, selfish concern for my own agenda -on multiple occasions, and others. I was so disgusted with my own wretchedness! Yet, at the same time, this “plague insight” caused me to cling to the grace of my Lord all the more. It made the death and resurrection of my Savior all the sweeter!
It occurred to me that more than 2000 years earlier, when Solomon prayed “when each one knows the plague of his own heart”, he had been praying for me. King Solomon, the son of David and wisest of all men, had been praying for Cristi Marie Antholz. What a humbling realization! And how awesome is my Sovereign Lord to ordain such prayers!?! While I praise God for the encouraging blessing of this direct, concrete connection to the Old Testament, I am reminded of and strengthened even more by Jesus’ prayers for me. At Gethsemane, King Jesus, the Son of the Living God and Wisest of all, prayed for me -and even now at the Throne of Grace, He continues to intercede on my behalf.
Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
a great High Priest, whose name is Love,
who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on his hands,
my name is written on his heart;
I know that while in heaven he stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart.
When Satan tempts me to despair,
and tells me of the guilt within,
upward I look, and see him there
who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
my sinful soul is counted free;
for God, the Just, is satisfied
to look on him and pardon me.
Behold him there! the risen Lamb!
My perfect, spotless Righteousness,
the great unchangeable I AM,
the King of glory and of grace!
One with himself, I cannot die;
my soul is purchased by his blood;
my life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ, my Savior and my God.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is good that we should know the plague in our hearts, for such knowledge sends us to our knees before the Lord in helpless confession. Such knowledge makes us to treasure His Grace…to weep in thankfulness for Christ’s sacrifice…to marvel at the prayers of those who have gone before us…and to praise the One who forever intercedes on our behalf. May your plagues turn you to the foot of the Cross!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Pray First
This morning I was prayer journaling for a friend, and I realized, once again, how selfish I am. The sin issue for which she had asked me to pray was one that I had recognized in her prior to our discussion this week. And we had talked about it before. However, I realized that when I first noticed it, my initial thought processes were about how much those mannerisms were "unbecoming" on my friend, and how much they made her not as fun to be around. My thoughts could pretty much be melted down to how much her sin issue was an imposition to me. As I journaled to the Lord for her, I was convicted that I'd handled the situation in an unloving manner. The first thing I should have done when I noticed this area of sin in her life was pray for her. Not think about it for a week, not talk about it with other believers, or anything else...just take her to the throne of Grace. Out of all of those initial reactions, prayer is the only one of any benefit. Prayer alone is the action honorable to my friend -and the Lord. I know rebuking might be a later step, but I'm convinced it all needs to begin with prayer. So I have purposed, by the grace of God, to first respond to my friends' sin by covering them in prayer, not wallowing in selfish pity.
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