What's that look like?

BETH
9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O LORD!
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.


This week has flown by and each day I carried this scripture around in my mind and jotted down on a small card. It really is amazing how often this small piece of God’s word was relevant to what was going on in my daily life.

I asked myself this question: Of all God’s commandments and statutes, where do I start? Jesus was asked that very question by a religious leader in His day. His answer was, “Love God and love your neighbor. Everything else is built on these two.” That’s Rick’s paraphrase, you can read it yourself in Matthew 22 or Mark 12. That is where I landed, do I love God? If I say I love Him, how is that demonstrated in my daily life? For me it came down to this; how much control of my life do I yield to God and am I faithful and obedient to Him.

It occurred to me that it should look very much like my relationship with my wife. I love her with all my heart and it looks like this; every morning I wake up with her on my mind, even when we are apart I think about her starting her day and if I need to do anything for her. I look for ways to let her know I’m thinking of her and that I appreciate her. I am faithful to her beyond just the letter of the law. What the heck does that mean? It means this; I am very careful to avoid any situation or conversation that could open the door to infidelity. I do not test my will power in the area of faithfulness; I have seen too many friends wreck their marriages by being careless. Everything I do affects our relationship and I am aware of this. I trust my wife completely because I know she loves me and we share this commitment to each other. Keep in mind the above description is between two human beings that are prone to selfishness and failure, but are committed to each other just the same.
So, is my relationship with God that real? Am I that committed? Do I guard my heart against unfaithfulness that closely? Do I TRUST Him completely? Am I always aware that everything I do affects the relationship? Do I seek his companionship? Do I look for ways to please Him? How much more does God love me and how much more perfect is His love than the love my wife has for me? Do I cheat on God? Do I take Him for granted? Would Melissa be satisfied with the same level of commitment I demonstrate towards Him?

Psalms 119 is working me over.