The Word of My Shepherd

Scripture:
I have gone astray like a lost sheep;
Seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments.
Psalm 119:176

Observation: This is how the longest psalm ends - with an appeal for the Lord to physically seek us out and save us as if we were a lost sheep, because despite our failures we do strive to remember the Lord's commands.

This last section - Tau - is full of this theme. The writer cries out the Lord, prays to him, praises him, speaks his word, works for him, longs for his mercy, delights in him, and lives for him. And in all of this, he does so as a means to deepen his understanding of the word of God. This, however, is more than loving the word, but also attributing his responsive actions to obedience to the word ... even when he has gone astray and fails.

Application: This is my favorite section, as it probably summarizes me. I love the Lord's word, and I strive to act in ways that are pleasing to God. Yet I also act in ways that violate and are contrary to the very word, and need God's mercy and forgiveness. I need God to bring me back to the fold when I go astray, and I pray fervently for that mercy.

Jesus used the same metaphor of a single lost sheep being sought out and brought back by the shepherd. It is typically a symbol of seeking out the non-believer and celebrating their redemption. However, it also applies to the saved soul who daily wanders and needs correction. In that case, it is the word of God that provides that correction, and it is our daily (or at least regular) reading that provides a measure of seeking for us to return.

Prayer: My Lord and my shepherd, I do go astray, sometimes on accident but sometimes knowingly. Thank you for your mercy and love that brings me back, and I do thank you for your word, precepts, laws, statutes, and commands. They are my guide and my wisdom, and I love your word. May they be in my heart and on my lips all the more often. Amen.