A SAINT CRYING FOR HELP

Psa 119:176

Morning Meditation 10/26/2012

The text for this morning meditation is Psa 119:176 “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.”

I was meditating on what I was going to meditate on this morning as I read through the five psalms that I read every morning. Psalm 119 was one of the Psalms that I read on the 29^th of the month. I decided it was too long, and that I would just read the first few verses and go on to the next Psalm I normally read. As I read, something kept bothering me. I have a tendency to get bogged down in reading. I have not gained much speed in reading over the years. I am still a slow reader. So sometimes time becomes an issue in my devotional period. However, I have discovered that God is not well pleased with those who try to rush him. Have you ever talked to someone and you felt they were trying somewhere in the conversation to break it off? I have discovered that God does not like to be the one who is being treated that way. You see he is God. He is not just another person that can be spoken to in passing by a hurried man. I say, “but Lord, I do not have much time.” He says, “You have less than you think. But what time you do have, I gave it to you.” He gives us verses like Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Well, anyhow, I kept reading and when I came to the 176^th verse, the Lord said, “that’s the verse I want you to write on this morning.” I said “thank you Lord, I get the point.”

The Psalmist said (we’ll have to call him that. When I looked for the author, all I found at the beginning of this Psalm was Aleph. And I don’t think that’s his name! If it is, he changes his name several times in this Psalm!), “I have gone astray.” This is a confession. It is hard to admit that by a person who is out of fellowship with the Lord. If I am astray, I am out of fellowship with the Lord. Have you ever noticed how hard it is for a person who is wrong to admit it? It is humbling. And the natural man is not humble. Let me put it like this. He is not humble except it be for advantage. If acting humble will gain him something, he will go into his act. The Psalmist said, “I have gone astray.” The verb is qal perfect which means it has already happened. The word means “to err, to wander about (physically), it is used of intoxication, of sin (ethically), wandering (of the mind).” The Psalmist is saying “I have erred, I am staggering about like a drunken man, I have allowed my mind to wander from the right way.” We go astray in the mind before it ever becomes an act. This is the reason we are told by Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” The Psalmist says in Psa 119:11: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

The confession means that the Psalmist is taking responsibility. You will notice that there is no blame placed on another in this verse. He does not say, “Lord, I have gone astray, but I do want to explain that I was led astray by another.” When a person comes to the Lord confessing and at the same time blaming another, this is not a confession that obtains forgiveness. Some people go through life blaming other people or circumstances for their failure. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, (John 1:17). It is not just grace whereby we obtain forgiveness and thus the restoration of fellowship, but also truth. I am using truth in the sense of seeing things as they really are. If we have the grace of forgiveness, we must not treat God like he doesn’t know everything. God does not forgive a person who is lying to him about responsibility. Like, “Lord I committed adultery. But I would have never done it if it had not been for that other person.” David said in Psalm 51: 4: “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.” David got forgiveness because he treated God as God. God is merciful and is ready to forgive the one who is willing to ask him without passing the buck. But you say, “I really believe that it is that other person’s fault.” Then you must change your theology before you can get forgiveness.

The Psalmist said, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep.” The word “lost” here means “to stray.” From what has the Psalmist strayed? He has strayed from the will of God. He has strayed from the revealed Word of God. He says this has happened just like a “lost sheep.” Why do sheep go astray? It is their nature to need the shepherd’s care and guidance. When they carelessly cease to stay with the flock and keep their eye on the shepherd, it is completely in keeping with their nature to wander off and be lost from the flock. We have a nature that is “prone to wander” as the songwriter says. When we fail to realize that self trust will always cause us to wander from the right path, we will find ourselves in the condition of the Psalmist. The first step on the way back is confession: “I have gone astray.” The second step is to admit I am “like a lost sheep.” At this point you go to you library and throw the “self help” books in the trash. The “self help” philosophy is that the sheep can be trained so that it will not wander and if it does it can find it’s way back. Have you ever wasted your money on those books. I have to admit, I have.

The Psalmist requests “seek thy servant.” He is admitting that he cannot get back without the Shepherd’s help. He says, “On my own I cannot stay in the way. On my own I cannot find the way back.” Have you ever just waked up one day and realized you had lost that something that makes Christianity fresh, sweet and ecstatic? And suddenly you realize that you do not know how you got there. Can’t you just see that sheep grazing along, daydreaming and enjoying the satisfaction of physical needs being satisfied and suddenly raising its head and discovering that the shepherd is out of view and the flock is no where in sight? Then panic suddenly seizes him. He begins to run here and there (to Bible conferences and seminars) thinking he can find the shepherd and the flock. He finds he cannot find his way back. Have you ever heard about the man who met a drunk indian wandering about in the woods. He ask the indian, “are you lost? Can I help?” The indian said, “Me not lost. Tee Pee lost!” We are like the indian who is unwilling to admit he is lost (lost in the sense we are talking about in this meditation).

Then he says, “seek thy servant.” The word “seek” is a pleading request in the imperative mood. It expresses urgency. The sheep recognizes he is lost. He knows he can’t find his way back. He discovers that what he has left is a Shepherd who loves him. He is the Shepherd’s servant. He belongs to the Shepherd. Do you think the Shepherd has ever explained to his flock?: “If you ever wander off and get lost, you will not be able to find your way back. What you need to do at that point is to cry out for help. You see your cry will help me find you.” 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The Psalmist said, “For I do not forget thy commandments.” It is amazing when you wake up out of the will of God how the Word starts coming to mind. Every saved person has the Word in him to remind him of former days. This will enable him to cry out in faith to the Shepherd for help.

May God bless you.

In Christ

Bro. White