A letter from Anthony...
“How can a young
person stay on the path of purity? By
living according to your word. I seek
you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I
might not sin against you. Praise be to
you, Lord; teach me your
decrees. With my lips I recount all the
laws that come from your mouth. I
rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your
ways. I delight in your decrees; I will
not neglect your word.” Psalm 119v9-16
Recently the church purchased a new gazebo to provide a shaded area outside during morning tea. And on the Sunday morning after it arrived a few of us put it up for the first time. Instinctively, we got the main frame out of the bag and put the cover on it, and we started to extend the frame out, but then – almost as a last resort – we decided it was best to look at the instructions before proceeding any further. The instructions are often the last thing that we tend to go for, and often many of us don’t even look at them until the job is done.
There are many things that we rely on in
our daily lives for guidance. We lean on
our own understanding and the experiences we have had in the past. We may seek guidance from a trusted friend or
colleague – and these days some might even ask Google.
There are many sources of knowledge and
wisdom available to us – possibly more than ever before. However, there is only one true source of
knowledge; one ‘set of instructions’ that have not been tainted by sin – and
that is God’s word.
Earlier this week I went for a ride on my
motorbike with the intention of exploring some roads that I had only been down
a few times before. I did have a very
brief look at a map before I set out but, nevertheless, I still managed to
explore some roads ‘unintentionally’.
Somewhere along the way I think I missed an important turn-off, and in
the end I found myself around 40 kilometres away from where I intended. I knew roughly where I was going, but knowing
vaguely where I was going simply wasn’t good enough to get me there.
In the verses above, the Psalmist asks the question, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity?” The Psalmist is painting a picture of two paths, one that leads to purity and life, and a restored relationship with God, and one that leads to separation from God and destruction.
The Psalmist is encouraging us to follow
the path that leads to life and is warning us – whether we are young or whether
we are older – not to treat ‘the instructions’, God’s word, as the last resort.
On Sunday we heard about Mary and Martha,
and how Mary chose what mattered most when she ignored the distractions that
were all around her and quietly sat at Jesus’ feet. She listened to God’s word, while Martha was
distracted by everything she felt needed to be done. This week as we face the many good and
helpful things that can easily distract us, may we make time in God’s word our
priority, may we meditate on God’s word, and consider His ways. And in doing so, may we be reminded of God’s
love for us, in sending His One and Only Son.
In Christ, Anthony
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