Longing for the Lord’s commandments
by Pastor Joshua Pfeiffer
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With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments (Psalm 119:131).
Read Psalm 119:129–136
In this verse, the psalmist says they long for the Lord’s commandments. Their desire is like that of a dry mouth for refreshing water. This may sound strange to us as we know our failure to keep God’s law so well, so it’s the mercy and forgiveness in the gospel we long for. But, of course, God’s law in itself is good, so there’s also a sense in which we can long for his commandments. Here’s one way to think about this today.
Most of us live in an increasingly secular society. Some people assume this means we will simply become more lawless. But I don’t think that’s quite right. Nature abhors a vacuum. In spiritual things, then, one of the ways this works is that human beings who reject God’s law simply make up their own, and what’s more, they seem to feel the need to make lots and lots of new laws. Have you noticed that people in our post-Christian culture are often burdened by trying to live up to the long list of secular commandments expected of them?
The Lutheran reformers actually discussed this 500 years ago. Their main concern was that people were being pointed to their good works in order to merit God’s forgiveness. However, a further point they made is that the so-called good deeds being promoted weren’t really good works at all. They were human inventions rather than those given by God. At one point, they say that even if they haven’t got the gospel clear yet, at least some of them have started to preach the law properly, and that’s actually a step in the right direction.
In a world with a dizzying array of choices and an overwhelming series of societal expectations, it’s a wonderful thing to have God’s will for our lives revealed to us. He has created this world and each of us and loves us. His commandments provide direction and shape to what a good and God-pleasing life looks like, so we don’t have to guess and come up with it ourselves. That’s something to long for.
Gracious Lord, thank you for revealing your will and giving your law and commandments. By your Spirit, work in us a desire to see your will done in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Joshua is married to Kimberley, and they have four children together. He is a pastor of the Lutheran Church of Australia and previously served at St Paul’s Nundah in Queensland and Bethlehem Adelaide in South Australia. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies at Concordia Seminary St Louis, USA, and enjoying the adventure.
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