How Shall We Live?
Scripture Reading — Psalm 119:1-16
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
Our psalmist, possibly a young person, sits in life’s classroom and asks, “How shall I live? How can I be a servant of God my whole life long?”
The answer is to know and love God’s wisdom. This covers the breadth, length, height, and depth of our walk with God. It takes no less than all the verses of Psalm 119 to describe it.
But this psalm is not just praising God’s words; it praises the God who imparts those words. By learning Scripture’s words of wisdom we also learn about the source of that wisdom. The answer includes not just what God wants us to do, but also who God wants us to be.
The words of God’s law, God’s guidelines for us to live by, are to be the air we breathe and the expressions on the tip of our tongue. God’s wisdom is the source of all we need to shape our lives. That’s why the teaching of God is a delight—in it our hearts find hope and our souls find peace.
Our lifelong walk with God engages not just our heads but also our hearts and our feet. It’s a journey that Jesus promises will not only answer the psalmist’s questions but will also show us what really matters: how to love, whom to trust, how to live, and how to die.
“I am the way and the truth and the life,” says Jesus. He is the Word who came to live among us (John 1:14; 14:6), and we must follow him.
Your words, Lord, are all the ABCs we need. Jesus, Word made flesh, help us to follow you faithfully, calling others to come too. Amen.
About the author — Thea Leunk
Thea Nyhoff Leunk has been a high school English teacher, a director of Christian education, a pastor of discipleship, and a regional coach for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. She is currently the senior pastor at Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Thea has also written courses for teens and young adults on world religions, Christian faith traditions, and science and the Bible. She and her husband have three adult children.
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