Way too often we allow the emotions of other people to control our lives. Way too often we allow ourselves to spend all our time and energy reacting to others rather than doing what we know is right.
With that premise, I read the striving of the psalmist as an attempt to be driven by what is right rather than other considerations. The psalmist yearns for God's Word to be the one steering force in his or her actions, and yet realizes that the deck of life is stacked unfavorably. Rulers, powers, the throngs of the wicked, and probably others devise schemes and strategies to distract the psalmist from right action.
I have no doubt that the deck is stacked against you, too (at least sometimes). We live in a broken world that yearns for eternity but gets caught up in decay. And in our broken world, our relationships can just as easily deter us from God as encourage us in God.
As we enter into Lent, many of us sacrifice something that distracts us from a fuller, richer life in God. These decisions are often deeply personal and private. Let us also make decisions in our relationships to be encouraging and supportive of one another. And let us ask the Holy Spirit for a heart that yearns for God's Word.
Thanks Andy, Steve
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