“Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
and teach me your statutes.” Psalm 119.124
In the previous verse, the psalmist displayed great expectancy that the Lord would fulfill his promises. Here, he longs for that in his life particularly. He knows and expects fulfillment of the Lord’s promises. In the current verse, he narrows this to God’s particular dealings with him. Notice his expectation—that God would deal with him according to his steadfast love.
His desire is not that God deal with him according to his every romantic, whimsical wish and desire. Rather, he wants God to deal with him according to the holy lovingkindness that is in God’s perfectly righteous essence. He wants God to deal with him better than he would even deal with himself, not according to his standards but according to God’s own standards.
In this, he also longs to know more of God’s standards and asks again for teaching from the Lord. The poet not only wants to be dealt with according to God’s steadfast love; he also wants a deeper understanding of that steadfast love.
Are your prayers filled with requests according to your standards of what is good and loving? Or, do you long for God to deal with you according to his steadfast love? How do your prayers demonstrate a desire to learn more of God’s statutes?
Heavenly Father, we are grateful for the amazing love you have shown us. We praise you for your grace. Deal with us according to the fulness of your love, O Lord, and help us to learn from your word what true righteousness and love is. Amen.