August 3 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Psalm 139:

¹O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
²Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
³Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
⁴For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
⁵Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
⁷Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
⁸If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
⁹If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
¹⁰Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
¹¹If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
¹²Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
¹³For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
¹⁴I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
¹⁵My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
¹⁶Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
¹⁷How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
¹⁸If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
¹⁹Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
²⁰For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
²¹Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
²²I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
²³Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
²⁴And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Devotional

The psalmist wants God to search his heart and his thoughts, to see, if there be any wicked way in him. The natural "heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" It is not a safe guide. A man may deceive himself. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." So it behoves us to pray: "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me: try my reins and my heart ... lead me, O Lord ... make thy way straight before my face." The psalmist does not want to walk in the way of wickedness that leads unto death; but he wants to be led in the way everlasting, that leads to life eternal. Therefore he must be upright before God, and refrain from every evil way. The word of God was his guide, and it must be our guide as well. We must pray, "Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good: lead me into the land of uprightness." Can we say with the psalmist, "I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word?" Do we get under­standing through the precepts of God, and do we therefore hate every false way? Do we esteem God's precepts to be right con­cerning all things? Do we walk according to them from day to day? "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity; but peace shall be upon Israel."

Prayer

O Lord our God, help us to be upright before Thee. May we regard thy Word, not as the word of man, but, as it is, indeed, the Word of God. May it always be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. May we hate every false way. Help us to cling in faith to Thy precious promises. Thus may we serve Thee with gladness. When our course is run, receive us up into the heavenly mansions prepared for us, to praise thy name for ever. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Jer. 17:9; Prov. 16:25; Ps. 26:2; 5:8; John 16:13; Ps. 143:10; 119:101, 104, 128; Jer. 6:16; Ps. 125:5.

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