A Better Mousetrap

Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! (Psalm 119:1-8 ESV).

You may remember seeing some of the Tom and Jerry cartoons. I was always amused by the complete failure of Tom (the cat) in catching Jerry (the mouse). No matter how intricate or developed the plan, it would always result in abject failure. When reading today’s Scripture I thought about that. Often we are like Tom. I’ve been to many recreational parks before with some of the teams I have coached through the years. They always have different entrances than home fences. Some of them were interesting and intricate in their design. I suppose the series of latches on the series of gates ensures the younger children don’t wander outside of the safe enclosure. The trouble with most of them is the difficulty to newcomers in figuring out how to operate them too. Most of the time there are clear instructions on the operation of the latches; but, who reads instructions, right? It is only in frustration of several failures that we then look at them. Funny how easily the gates open when you do it according to the design. I love it when I find spiritual lessons in the stuff of everyday life. It is a clear principle of Scripture that we’re spiritually blind, or plainly arrogant, which causes our failure in living as Christ would have us to live. There is something stubborn about humanity in our wanting to do everything without listening to instructions, or following them. But the instructions are there so we will follow them and find success. When we know them, we will be blessed if we do them. Psalm 119 is an acrostic psalm, each letter of the Hebrew alphabet beginning a new section. Today’s letter is aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The psalmist is giving us the “ABC’s” of living. We ought to remember that God doesn’t lay down precepts just because He’s bored and likes to write notes. He laid down His precepts, His laws, and His statutes so that we’d follow them and live. The first of those is found here. We are to seek God with our whole heart. That’s the way we will not be “put to shame.” Another way to put that is seeking God is the path to confidence in the grace of God. One accompanies the other.