Make Me Want To Obey!
Zechariah 14 and Psalm 51 (NIV)
(Philip Oh, Chairperson, Local Church Executive Committee)
READ:
Psalm 51 (CEV)
OBSERVE:
Psalm 51 was a prayer of forgiveness written by King David after our Lord sent Prophet Nathan to convict him of the murder of Uriah and his adultery with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 12.
Reading 2 Samuel 12 and Psalm 51 together showed me that rich and powerful men had to be convicted of their wrong doing, usually by someone else or by a significant circumstance
As I read and reflected on the Common English Version (CEV), 2 portions in Psalm 51 caught my attention:
Verse 1: 1You are kind, God!Please have pity on me.You are always merciful!Please wipe away my sins
Verse 10-12: 10 Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again.
11 Don’t chase me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me.
12 Make me as happy as you did when you saved me; make me want to obey!
APPLY:
The Psalm starts in verse 1 with “You are kind, God! Please have pity on me. You are always merciful! Please wipe away my sins”. Right at the start, it reminds me that my Abba Father is kind, and that He is always merciful. I note that this is at the start of the Psalm and King David knew this, even as he started writing this penitential Psalm. It reminds me that God is kind and merciful before I sin and after I sin. It describes the character of my never-changing God. It reminds me that my wrong will always have to be punished, but mercifully. In the NIV version it says “according to your great compassion.”
Verse 10 is a passionate cry from David, a favourite son of God, to give him pure thoughts and to make him faithful again, as he was many times before. It is an encouragement to me that I can be made faithful again, even though I might stray away from time to time.
David in verse 11 recognises the importance of the Holy Spirit in his situation, pleading with his Abba Father not to take the Holy Spirit away. I have personally experienced the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit as assured in John 14:26. Such a great comfort and help to me at all times, but especially in difficult times. He is my enabler, my comforter and my encourager.
Finally, another plea from David to Abba Father is seen in verse 12: Make me as happy as you did when you saved me; make me want to obey! He recalls how happy he was at an earlier time (“when you saved me”) and wants to return to that happy situation that he had previously experienced. Knowing how sinful and wayward I can be, I do want God’s help to “make me want to obey”. It would be so easy for me if God just waved that “magic wand” at me, but I know that God has created us to have free will. So I have to work at this! I have to work at wanting to obey him – by being an Intentional Disciple!iple!
DO:
I have committed to be an Intentional Disciple – to take the next step! Having done the spiritual health-check, I have written down what I plan to do this year to “want to obey”. I want to continue to grow and be more like Jesus and have committed to:
- plan a one-day spiritual retreat (Significant circumstances – walk on).
- being available to start a new 3-2-1 accountability group (spiritual relationships – walk on).
- continue existing mentoring relationships and to start new ones (Spiritual relationships – run well).
PRAY:
Abba Father, you are indeed kind and merciful! We thank you and praise you for your unending love and patience towards us, despite our waywardness. Forgive us we pray, free us for joyful obedience and remind us that you have sent the Holy Spirit to help us.
Help us to want to obey you! Help us to be intentional in our discipleship and to continue to grow more and more like Jesus – by taking the next step. I ask humbly in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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