A Look at Psalm 119:102
Are You Being Taught by God?
Psalm 119:102 “I have not departed from Your laws, for You Yourself have taught me.”
The key thought in this verse is that God Himself taught David. When the Lord teaches us something, it is not easily forgotten. We have an option. We can either learn through obedience to the Word of God or through the Lord’s discipline. When I was a kid, my mom had a phrase she repeated quite often, “Wait till Dad gets home!” that was a dreaded phrase. The rest of the day was spent wondering what his “teaching” would entail.
If we discipline ourselves to obey the Word of God all on our own, it would save us a lot of trouble. Obedience to the Word, through our own discipline, is much like listening to mom when she gave instructions. If you listened, things went along quite nicely. If you didn’t listen to her, then you heard that dreaded phrase.
Why was Dad’s discipline (teaching) more severe than Mom’s? It’s not just that he was physically stronger and could spank harder. It’s that he represented Jesus in the home. When God has to deal with us because we won’t listen to those in authority over us, the discipline is much more lasting. Many times, my Dad didn’t even know why he was spanking me. His anger/frustration was due to the fact that I didn’t listen to Mom.
This is what Jesus teaches us in
Matthew 21:44 when He says,
“He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” The one who falls on the stone is the one who disciplines him/herself. The one on whom the stone falls is being disciplined by the Lord. When the Lord Himself teaches us, we do not soon forget.
Now let me encourage you to take some time to meditate on this verse; as you do, think back to a time when the Lord taught you something.
Continued
