DAY ONE: 

(Matthew 26:40-41) Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

We often face frustrating times when we know we are failing to walk in the sincere and godly desires of our spirit. This arise from the weakness of our flesh. In those times, as stated in the previous posting, we need REALITY, REFOCUSING, AND REVIVING. Psalm 119:33-40, will be our guide in this process.

*(Read THE SPIRIT IS WILLING FOUNDATION if you have no idea what the three words above have to do with this article)

(Psalms 119:33) Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.

The word “teach”  is a strong word expressing humility and dependence in the one who is asking. The word does not imply ignorance of information, but a dullness or insensitivity to carry our the information when it’s necessary. Asking the Lord to teach us, as David is in our psalm, means we are asking Him to discipline us consistently; for the purpose of not wandering off into danger. This request is pastoral.

A shepherd uses the rod and staff to keep the flock from going astray, which is to teach the animal the safe way. Let us not diminish this true portrait with our popular caricature of shepherds and sheep.

This means that what is taught comes with stinging, consistent reminders when we are dull to hear–continual and convicting calling out to us at all times; for the purpose of learning the shepherd’s voice–and painful correction when we walk outside the way He is leading. In essence we are asking the Lord to establish guardrails for our wandering off; guard rails to scrape us awake when we fall asleep at the wheel. Anyone who has fallen asleep while driving, and have been saved from death by a guard rail understands the scraping discipline its safety. It works, but grinds the metal into friction and scars.

Guard rails are to keep us on the road when we are to weak to stay awake or drive recklessly, beyond driving limits. This is why the Psalmist declares “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statues”, for he knows he has grown weary and needs to be kept awake. But what is the way of His statutes?

When dealing with the word “way” in Hebrews is refers to the well-worn singular road road, as the means of arriving at our destination. Jesus speaks clearly of the way the road we are to travel on. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus speaks of the difficulty of the way that leads to eternal life.

Because of this difficulty and our weakness its takes absolute surrender To God’s leading. How often has God given us a definite path to walk and in discontent of the difficulty, we chose another path which makes more sense to us. It is in those choices to justify compromise, we grow more weary in our flesh. The Lord’s way is the way of His statutes.

Statutes are the God the ordained allotment for my one’s life–the boundaries God has set for the good of His kingdom and my safety. Ultimately statutes refer to God’s design for your individual life and ministry. To rephrase verse 33 “Teach me the boundaries of my responsibility and the allotted material need to walk in that way.

Walking in His statutes deals with contentment in calling and provision (II Timothy 6:11). When we look beyond the statutes that define our life and calling and what provision is needed for it, we weary our flesh further.

Of great interest to David was not operating beyond where God had called him to operate. Even as God had chosen and anointed him over Saul, He would not presume to take the kingship, until God took it away from Saul in death. In Psalm 19:13 David cries out “keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sin, let them not have dominion over me”.

REALITY

Although our spirit is willing to serve Jesus on the narrow road, regardless of the peril it puts us in, the rest of our person (soul and body) must be sanctified in that holy desire. Until we grow accustomed to the way of His statues for our life, meaning His personal calling and provision for that calling, we will experience failure attributable to the weakness of the flesh.

REFOCUS

Ask the Lord some searching questions and wait for His response…

1. Do I desire to serve you with all my heart?
2. Am I in a season where I feel as though I am failing, even though I desire to walk godly with Jesus?
3. If I am weary, what is it that that is causing me to be weary?
4. Ask the Lord to reveal 1 or two passages to serve as statutes to keep you in His way.
5. Ask the Lord to give you strong conviction, anytime you breach His revealed scriptural statues.

REVIVE 

Commit to obeying Him in what is revealed. As He moves in you in your daily life yield to His leading… “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes and I will keep it to the end“