Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the way of the LORD!
Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
You have commanded us
To keep your precepts diligently.
Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep your statutes!
Then I would not be ashamed
When I look into all Your commandments.
I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgements.
I will keep your statutes;
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

We’re studying Psalm 119 in our women’s Bible study this summer. Despite what some people think about small group Bible studies (and by extension, individual Bible study?), I believe in the old “priesthood of the believer” idea and that the Holy Spirit is given to all believers to “guide you into all truth.” (John 16:13) Therefore, we can study the Scriptures under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and expect such study to be “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for in instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16) Discussion at Thinklings blog.

Now that we’ve got that settled, and we’ve all come to a happy concensus :), I’ll return to Psalm 119. First the psalmist writes about how happy and blessed those who obey God’s law are. Then he inserts a verse that states that God has commanded us to obey. Then the psalmist wishes, prays, imagines the results, and finally determines to learn and then keep God’s statutes. Section Aleph ends with another prayer: “Oh, do not forsake me utterly!”

I echo that final prayer. My own prayer has often been, “God, please don’t give up on me.” Grace and repentance are big concepts, but at the very least those terms mean acepting forgiveness and setting my will to “walk in the way of the LORD” and “to do no iniquity”–again and again and again.