Lead me in the path of your commands

Lead me in the path of your commands, for in it I delight.

We have all been in situations in which we were being trained for something.  Perhaps it was a new job, a lesson in school, or a military commission.  In the course of our training, some commands became so internalized that we still follow them years later; “Say please and thank you,” “Look both ways before you cross the street.”  They become second nature to us.

This is how most commands work.  Whether to teach us manners, good habits, or independent living skills, rules are drilled into us so that we will not break them.  We probably become thankful for them over time, but rarely would people say that they delight in commands at the moment they are given.  But there is one possible exception: guidance give by a revered mentor.

A psalmist recognizes that God is the perfect mentor, the perfect parent.  He understands that his divine teacher knows his strengths and weaknesses and knows how to help him along.  He sees that God’s plans are only for his good, that they are lovingly designed to put him on the right path to happiness.  It is a path that he can truly delight in.

What about you?  Can you see God’s love in the commands he has given?  You do not have an absentee father! Almighty God walks beside you every day; he is always ready to help and teach you and to mod you into his image.  He is committed to keeping you on the right path and to showing you how to find delight in his ways.

Why does God do all of this?  Because he loves you.  It is that simple.  He considers you worth the time and effort.

Today, spend time thanking God for his faithfulness to you.  Ask him to show you just one “command” that he wants you to delight in.  Is it to serve your family?  to spend time with him in prayer?  To forgive someone who has hurt you?  Embrace this command, confident in your Father’s power to transform you.

-word among us