Ezekiel 45:13-46:24 / 1 Peter 1:13-2:10 / Psalm 119:33-48 / Proverbs 28:11
Those who are humble and teachable are more successful than those who are not. As a teacher / coach / mentor of others, my favorite type of person to walk alongside is the one who listens and acts upon what she or he hears. When I’m with a humble listener who does something with what we talk about, I can’t wait to meet with that person again because I know they are going to be further along than when we last talked.
I have also met with those who want my input and opinion, but either they never got back with me, or I found out later that they did nothing with the wisdom that was shared with them. That always makes me sad for them because I realize they will not progress past the point they are until they take action of some kind. If you want to be one who is always growing and changing, take counsel from others.
As I read through the verses in Psalm 119 today, I noticed some direct requests from the Psalmist as He communicated with the Lord. Teach me – Give me – Direct me – Turn my – Fulfill Your – and take away. There was not a please in front of these requests which leads me to believe the writer (believed to be David, Ezra, or Daniel) was adamant on receiving what he was asking of God.
I also believe there was an expectation that the requests would be met with affirmation and results. What was the writer wanting to learn? Teach me Your ways. Give me understanding. Direct me in Your path. Turn my heart toward Your statutes. Turn my eyes away from worthless things. Fulfill Your promises. Take away disgrace.
Among this list were two that I would think the writer would be responsible to act upon; Turn my heart and turn my eyes. Should we not turn our own heart and eyes? Yes, if we are speaking of our physical heart and eyes that would be true. However, I conclude that the writer was speaking of his spiritual heart and eyes and when speaking of spiritual things, Holy Spirit must be involved to create a shift.
I’m sure the writer understood after many years of seeking after God the difference between God’s responsibility toward us and ours toward Him. There are requests we make of God and there are requests He makes of us. We must not be lazy Christians who expect no effort as we relate to God. He is more than willing to meet with us, and He will even initiate many of those meetings. However, He so enjoys when we initiate communication with Him.
There is also an indicator that the writer desires his heart and eyes be turned, meaning he is a willing participant in turning toward God’s laws and away from worthless things. We can take action to turn toward God’s law by reading our Bible and meditating on what we read. We can take action to turn away from worthless things by guarding what our eyes see (and what our ears hear). It takes hard work on our part to do both, but we will find ourselves rapidly growing in our faith when we make the effort.
When you are one who is willing both to turn toward and to turn away, you are a prime candidate for being taught, for growth, for maturity, and for a full, abundant, and beautiful life. You will have your pick of counselors, friends, and mentors. Your life will shine as an example to others. So, be teachable and be humble. You will never regret your choice.
