Meditation on Psalm 86:11

"Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name."
--Psalm 86:11, ESV

Six things this verse teaches me:

What David lacked
Teaching and instruction. Our own lack should be obvious to ourselves, but in our pride we want to believe otherwise.

What David sought
The way of the Lord. The world claims to have teaching and instruction, but the way of the Lord is the way of truth.

Whom David sought it from
David asked the Lord to teach him His way. He did not go off and try to discover it himself. None can learn God's way apart from seeking God Himself.

Why David sought it
Not for intellectual superiority, not for the comforts of a path made smooth by right choices, not because he loved mere knowledge, not so that others would be envious of his wisdom--but so that he might walk in God's truth.

What else David recognized
The deceitfulness and depravity of his own heart. Even as David cried out to the Lord for instruction in His way, David recognized that his heart chased after worldly things.

What David then plead for
He asked the Lord to do what only He can do: give Him a heart wholly devoted to the fear of His name. David did not try to unite his heart first and then come to the Lord. He went to the only one who has the power over sin, and said, "Unite my heart to fear your name."



It's amazing how packed with significance a single short Bible verse can be--and this just scratches the surface.

Just Wondering...

Why is that people follow "I'll say" with silence, but find it necessary to state what "goes without saying"?

July's Quote to Ponder

"The joy of the humble does not reside in being deserving, but in receiving mercy."
--John Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World

Why "Dord"?

When I first started this blog, I wanted a name that would be both interesting and meaningful. As you can see, what I came up with was... Dord Defined. However, I want to take a few sentences to make sure that its intended meaning is not lost in its uniqueness/strangeness. (A quick aside: do read the fascinating historical background if you haven't yet.) The definition I gave would best be understood in light of the following three Scriptures.

"Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him." (Proverbs 26:12, ESV)

"Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him." (Proverbs 29:20, ESV)

"Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." (Proverbs 28:26, ESV)

These sober me every time I read them. Proverbs contains dozens of verses on the fool. There is no doubt: a fool is definitely a terrible thing to be. The first two verses tell us that there is more hope for a fool than for one who is wise in his own eyes or hasty in his words. I firmly believe that these warnings apply to all of life; I also believe that, in blogging, it is especially easy to be wise in my own eyes or hasty in my words. The last verse completes the first. A fool, wise in his own eyes, trusts in his own mind. Yet we need not despair. The verse reminds us that true wisdom can be found, though not from trusting in one's own mind. Instead, we know that it comes from above, from the One to Whom belongs all wisdom (Dan. 2:20).

The name of my blog--and specifically the definition I wrote--is meant to serve as a not-so-subtle reminder of these truths.