Praise & Prayer - Psalm 119:12

Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes! - Psalm 119:12

At first glance there appears to be little here; it appears to be straight forward, cut, and dry. However, like so many other times in God’s word, there is plenty of depth in which we can quickly become immersed in if we would only dip the toe and discover. 

Notice first, how the psalmist adores his King: “Blessed” is the Lord. This phrase of adoration means to literally kneel before God in an act of love and devotion. The psalmist desires nothing more than to imitate the character of God and this is shown in all that precedes this verse. His desire is also shown in the culminating blessing brought forth from a profound admiration of the Lord. A deep longing to be conformed to the image of God is being conveyed. The psalmist is so acutely aware of the blessing of following God and knowing his word, that all other paths seem as refuse and filth, that he would - with sincerity of heart - fall to his knees asking to be taught his law. 

About this passage, Spurgeon says, “No sooner is the word in the heart than a desire arises to mark and learn it. When food is eaten, the next thing is to digest it; and when the word is received into the soul the first prayer is - Lord, teach me its meaning. ‘Teach me thy statutes.’”

Those who are the seed of God are his students. Those who recognize God as Jehovah, the existing one, the proper and highest name for God, desire to learn God’s ways. They desire to be disciples of his and sit at his feet day after day. Bless the Lord as you pray that he will teach you. His law is the only righteous standard that the world will ever know and apart from it, there is no blessing, no happiness, no truth. 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).