#DailyDevotion You Will Either Hate God’s Instruction Or Love It
Psalm 32 (The LORD:) 8I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go. I’ll advise you, keeping My eye on you.
Some commentaries think it is the poet who is speaking here and not the LORD. Yet, even if that is the case, the LORD is making His case through the poet. It is the LORD who instructs us and teaches us the road, the way we should walk upon. It is the LORD who keeps His eyes on us. It is He who advises us through His word. He gave the Israelites His word in the Torah (first five books of the Bible). The LORD told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6, “6The instructions I give you today write in your mind; 7impress their meaning on your children; talk about them when you sit at home, walk along the road, lie down, and get up. 8Bind them on your arm to remind you; wear them as bands on your forehead; 9write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” The priest, the prophets, the kings, the fathers and neighbors were to be the mouth of God instructing God’s people in the way they should go.
The LORD continued to instruct His people in the New Testament. Here we have the Gospels and the Epistles wherein the LORD Jesus Christ instructed us what to believe and how we are to live. He has given us the apostles, prophets, pastors, our fathers and fellow Christians to be the mouth of God that instructs us. The LORD does not abandon those who trust in Him but He keeps His eyes on them, guiding them in the way they should go and walk.
9Don’t be like a horse or a mule without sense; with a bit and bridle their rebellion must be restrained so you can come near them. 10The wicked suffer much!
The Israelites were a stiff necked people. We aren’t much better. The LORD doesn’t want to beat us into submission and coerce us to do and follow His will. He’s telling us here not to be like a horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to comply. He does not want to use the threats and punishments of the Law to get us to comply with His will. That is not good for us. It makes us resent Him. For some, it would seem to get outward obedience, only threats of the eternal punishments of hell will get them to comply with the will of God outwardly. Because they are compelled, they suffer much. They are wicked. If left to their own constraints they would wreak havoc on the lives of others and their own lives. Because they resent the constraints of the LORD they are tortured with their hatred towards Him. Don’t be like that.
But if you trust the LORD, He will surround you with mercy. 11Delight in the Lord and be glad, you who are righteous, and sing happily, all you whose hearts are honest.
There is another way. We are called to trust the LORD. He has shown us His great love for us in Christ Jesus. When we put our trust in Him, He surrounds us with His stead-fast love and mercy. When we look to the cross and see how much God loves us in Christ, then we want to listen, do, and follow His will for us. We need not be compelled. We do it from a willing spirit. Then we can delight in the LORD and be glad. We can sing happily as those righteous and straight in heart. When we trust the LORD Jesus Christ, His commands are no longer burdensome but something we can delight in doing.
Heavenly Father, always give us faith in your merciful kindness shown to us in Christ Jesus, so we may listen to You and delight in You and all the ways you instruct us in how to live, giving You thanks and praise. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.