“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.”- Psalm 32:8-9
As I have said so many times, the psalms are a balm in times of pain, a comfort in times of uncertainty and hope in times of struggle. God through His psalmists tackles every area of our spiritual, emotional and physical lives letting us know…that He knows US! Stop and think about that a moment…He is our Father after all…the One who knows us better than anyone else. He does say… “…with my eye upon you.”
Since the Psalms ARE what I described above, by virtue of that, they are also instructional because God our Father is also our greatest TEACHER! God’s precautions often come as Fatherly counsel that will keep us on the path of His blessing. (they are usually commands as well, but since we are His, we seek to lovingly do as He says out of gratitude for such great love and provision) And the principles of grace do not negate the importance of knowing how to avoid temptations which He delights in counseling us about.
It is because we are human and have a fallen nature that we need this Fatherly instruction and counsel that helps us steer clear of dangers, avoiding moral pitfalls and heartache. Such guidance is not arbitrary legalism, but resistance to such guidance is just plain dumb. Ignoring the instruction of an infinitely holy, loving, and wise Father God is like being a stubborn mule that needs a bit to keep it on a productive path – oh and by the way, God said that, not I! (re-read above! Lol!)
Why does God give us such tough talk…because we have wandering hearts which all too often requires some stern and sure guidance? Since our Father’s love is not as fragile as our resolve to walk His path, He can be as practical and insistent as He needs to be: “Do not enter the path of the wicked … Avoid it. Do not go on it. Turn away from it and pass on” (Prov. 4:14-15).Or this from Psalm 1, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.”
When we know that God’s love is behind His Fatherly instruction and counsel, our love for Him grows and our willingness to follow His word is strengthened. We learn to trust the divine arms that guide us, and to return to those outstretched arms when our stubbornness has taken us down a wicked path. Our FATHER KNOWS US…and the way we should go. His eye is always on us because His “…steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Psalm 32:10-11
God bless y’all today.
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
