Psalm 143:10 –
Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.
This one was one I had to read over a few times, it has so many great “nuggets”. I wanted to write on verse 7 “Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens” … since that fits my mood this morning. But this one really took my heart since God is constantly teaching me His will. The biggest problem with God and me is a dynamic clash of wills.
I tend to work my will into just about everything God sets forth in my life. I will start trying to wrestle it in a direction I want to go and then I start straying off the path. I quickly notice what a “soft shoulder” is and how difficult it is to move anyway much less forward. The thing that stinks is getting back to firm footing is sometimes very difficult when you drift too far from God’s will.
This is something similar to what Jesus prayed in the Lord’s Prayer and in the garden before his death. In Gethsemane the difference was He knew God’s will and wanted relief. Jesus was different from David in submitting to God’s will. Jesus just submitted, where David seemed to fight it along the way. The question for you is, are you more like Jesus or David? Do you submit to God’s will or fight it along the way? Do you know the path or does God’s spirit need to show you the way?
For me I follow David’s example, where I ask for help and seldom follow when asked. David was much better than I have been, but his “soft shoulder” excursions had ramifications which shook the nation of Israel to its core! As we wind down Psalms take notice of these prayers and notice asking for help is not wrong. Use these example prayers to help model your own talks with God.