Psalm 143

Teach Me to Do Your Will

 

 

Psalm 143 is the last of the INDIVIDUAL LAMENT PSALMS.  Directly addressed to God, these psalms petition Him to rescue and defend an individual.  Psalm 143 is a prayer of David, full of lament of his distress and the danger he was in.  He prays earnestly that God would

• hear him (v. 1-7)
• that He would not deal with him according to his sins (v. 2)
• that He would not hide His face from him (v. 7)
• that He would manifest His favor towards him (v. 8)
• that He would guide & direct him in the way he should go & quicken him in it (v. 8, 10)
• that He would deliver him from his troubles (v. 9, 11)
• that He would, in due time, reckon with his persecutors (v. 12)

Psalm 143 is also the 7th and last of the "Penitential Psalms" - these psalms have served as a special source of prayer and reflection during Lent for centuries.  Our struggles, our sins, our "enemies" - and the ways we describe them - may be different, but these psalms can draw us into coming before our God, as sinners, with real needs.  They can help us come to know God's love and mercy.

 

ever wonder which way to turn? 

Hide Psalm 143:8 in your heart

May we, like David, lift our souls up to the Lord,

for He will show us the way!



 

Have you ever thought, "I would do God's will, if I just knew what it was!"

There are 3 meanings to the "will of God:"

(a) Sovereign decretive will, the will by which God brings to pass

whatsoever He decrees. This is hidden to us until it happens.

(b) Preceptive (revealed) will is God's revealed law or commandments, which we have the power but not the right to break.
(c) Will of disposition describes God's attitude or disposition. It reveals what is pleasing to Him.

We can't know everything about God and what He wills, but we can know His revealed will - those things He has made known to us.  This is also known as God's preceptive will because it contains commands or precepts by which we are to structure our lives.  When we sin, we act contrary to God's will of precept. 

So what's the best way to know His revealed will?  Read His Word!!  Find out what it says, get to know the precepts God has given us, then act on those things!

RC. Sproul makes this great observation: 

God sets certain parameters, but within these boundaries there are often many godly paths we can take. If we have earnestly studied Scripture, we can choose among many solid options without worrying about transgressing His will.

• The true mark of spirituality is seen in those seeking to know the will of God that is revealed in His preceptive will. It is the godly person who meditates on God's law day and night.
• While we seek to be "led" by the Holy Spirit, it is vital to remember that the Holy Spirit  is primarily leading us into righteousness.
• We are called to live our lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. It is His revealed will that is our business, indeed, the chief business of our lives.

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God hears & answers my prayers in His faithfulness
• In God's sight, no one living is righteous
• God has revealed His preceptive will to children through His word
• God is my Deliverer and my shelter
• God's Spirit is good
• God is lovingly kind and merciful to His children

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise God that He hears and answers my prayers according to His faithfulness, lovingkindness and mercy
• I praise God for the sacrifice of His Son, that only through Him am righteous before God
• I bless God for His Word and how He has revealed Himself to His children - that He doesn't leave us to flounder but has shown us His will and His way for us
• I praise God that He is my Deliverer, and that His Spirit is good

PRAYER:
     Hear my prayer, O Lord - give ear to my supplications!  How I bless You for Your faithfulness & righteousness to me.
    As David, I pray that You will not enter into judgment with me - I know that I am all unrighteousness, and my heart is filled with praise & gratitude for the gift of Your Son and His sacrifice for me, that I am now covered in His righteousness.  I plead Christ and Christ alone before You. 
     Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.  May Your Spirit hide Your word in my heart forever, that it would be a light unto my feet and a light unto my path, and I would walk according to Your ways.  Lead me in the land of uprightness.  In Jesus' name I pray ~ Amen