Psalm 119:9-16                                               
How can your people keep their lives pure?
    By obeying your commands.
With all my heart I try to serve you;
    keep me from disobeying your commandments.
I keep your law in my heart,
    so that I will not sin against you.
I praise you, O Lord;
    teach me your ways.
I will repeat aloud
    all the laws you have given.
I delight in following your commands
    more than in having great wealth.
I study your instructions;
    I examine your teachings.
I take pleasure in your laws;
    your commands I will not forget.

Reflection

Recently, I have been meditating on the Spiritual Practice of Lectio Divinia. Lectio Divinia is the practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God’s word. When reflecting on Psalm 119, I realised that the psalmist was doing a similar practice. They had a desire to know God’s Word, and so they spent time in study and meditation. They wanted to learn from God with a desire to become like God, to live a life of purity.

We don’t just study and read the Word of God for academics, but we do so with a desire to become more like God and to live with an open heart and mind to learn from Him. 
If we are to live for God, we must have the same attitude towards study as well as interpreting the will of God. It is very possible to know a lot of facts from the Bible, without really knowing what God is saying or how to apply it to our lives. 
When we open our minds as children of God, seeking to learn, God leads us towards His voice.
This requires meditation. Observe God’s Word and sit with the scripture, interpret what you have heard, and respond by practising the Word of God in your life.

Prayer

Dear God,
We ask that you strengthen us,
and empower us with your spirit,
to hear Your Voice.
We confess, and acknowledge,
that we need you to do this,
we can not do it on our own.
We cry out to you
asking for your help,
to observe, interpret, and respond to your Word.
In your name we pray.
Amen

© Emma Stephenson, 17/03/2021
this reflection & prayer may be shared as long as the original writer is credited.