By Robert Halsey Pine
“Oh, how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your decrees are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word…How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:97-120 NRSV).
David has outdone himself in this psalm. This particular part is our guide for spiritual nourishment and study. What David is describing is a necessary discipline for our closer walk with God. For David, this is beyond discipline. It has become as honey in his mouth. David continues, “Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
David developed a Godly habitude. According to Webster a habitude is a habitual attitude which becomes our native character. David is an example for us. He made meditation on God’s law a thing of love. It became his native character, his habitual attitude. That is where we need to be. As with David, our Godly habitude will carry us through all things. We don’t have to be smart or brave. We just put on God’s word and it becomes a comforting garment as well as protective armor.
There are many things that we are conscious about as we go about our daily lives. We bathe ourselves and brush our teeth. We groom and dress ourselves for a pleasant presentation to others. We feed our bodies for energy and nourishment. We remember to keep our appointments. We run errands to be sure that all of our personal needs are met. And the list goes on. When our average day is done, what kind of ‘habitude’ have we lived? Was God in any of it? Did we manage to work Him in to our busy schedule?
Father God, I see by David’s example that it is never too late to make You the framework of my day. My trouble is that by the time I think about You, I have already booked my day. Help me to understand that You are my ride and my compass for each day that I live. I usually put my cart before my horse. Although it doesn’t make any sense, I continue to put other concerns before You when I should know that You are the answer to my concerns. Father, I pray that I will learn to love and know You and Your word, so that I will always remember on which end to place my cart. AMEN.
Robert Halsey Pine was born at Newark, Ohio in 1943. He is a graduate of Northeastern University and completed the program of Theological Education by Extension: Education for Ministry, School of Theology, the University of the South.