“I am your servant; give me understanding,
that I may know your testimonies!” Psalm 119.125
With this prayer, the psalmist returns to one of his most-used pairings in this psalm—devotion and dependence. He declares that he is God’s servant, declaring his devotion. Then, he asks for understanding from the Lord, declaring his dependence.
We cannot get far from this pairing in the psalm. You might even be tempted, if you’ve been following along in these devotions to think you don’t need the rest of this. I’ve heard this all before.
Take time to consider that the Holy Spirit inspired this repetitiveness for a reason. We need to be reminded, time and again, of our need for the Lord to give us understanding, for the Lord to reveal his testimonies to us. We desperately need him to open our eyes and enlighten our understanding. This grace from God makes our devotion possible.
Have you become bored with being reminded of your dependance? How often do you rejoice in the Lord, and in the understanding he has given you? How often do your prayers reflect an expression of your devotion to him and dependence upon him?
Heavenly Lord, we are your servants. We are incapable of pursuing you on our own, incapable of seeing the majesty of your testimonies. Teach us, O Lord. In your grace, give us understanding, that we might walk in your ways and live to the praise of your great name. Amen.