“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97 ESV
Reflection: what are your New Year’s resolutions or plans?
As we are about to enter into a new year, it makes sense to take a moment to think back, to reflect on the past year before making plans for the next. One thing that is probably universally true is that we know little about the future, about the year ahead; we don’t even know what will happen tomorrow. And we continually learn that even the best of plans are just plans; the important thing is to be able to adapt as we go along. But what if you did know about the future, the year ahead, would you do anything differently?
Let’s imagine for just a moment that we could. Think back last year at this time, New Year’s Eve, and you have the past year ahead of you. If you have the knowledge you have today, is there anything you would have done differently, within your control, of course? Perhaps things done or said which were a mistake? Or perhaps people or conversations you should have avoided? Some people you should have talked with or visited? Or, perhaps taken more risk? It is humbling to do honest self reflection, but it is important so that we don’t repeat the same mistakes again. So, let’s simplify with the following question,
If you could only change only one thing this past year, what would it be?
The psalmist who wrote psalm 119 understood from experience that this life and this world was very treacherous to navigate. He makes the point multiple times that when he leans on his own understanding, he walks astray. “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.” Psalm 119:67 ESV. Unfortunately, almost all the common English translations (ESV, KJV, NKJV, AS , NIV, etc) use the word “afflicted” here, when it really means to be humbled if you look at the original text. Because later he writes “It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” Psalm 119:71, 75 ESV. It is out of love for His people, His servants that the Lord humbles us.
Now, how can the psalmist say that it was “good for him” to be humbled? We are back to the point of making plans again for our new year ahead. If we are honest in our self reflection, we see that our mistakes generally come from us following a selfish path. Following our flesh, following the world as opposed to following God, living by the Spirit of God. Paul wrote “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 ESV. This is also echoed in Proverbs, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV. So how do we do that, practically speaking?
The psalmist wrote in our focus verse today, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97 ESV, and later “Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes. I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies!” Psalm 119:124-125 ESV. Because he had absolutely learned that God’s ways were perhaps more difficult, but oh so much better than his own. In fact, he came to the conclusion that “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:72, 103 ESV. Do we see God’s Word, His law and statutes in this way? Are we following in all the ways He is teaching us?
So, perhaps that is a simple New Year’s resolution for us, the one thing to change as we enter into the new year, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.” Psalm 119:97 ESV