LEARNING FROM THE LORD
Psalm 25:4-5, 9, 12-14 NKJV
4 Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
9 The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
12 Who is the man that fears the Lord?
Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
13 He himself shall dwell in prosperity,
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him,
And He will show them His covenant.
I consider this to be an instructional psalm. David expresses his heart to the Lord and includes some insights as to who is able to learn from the Lord. Who does the Lord teach?
The first quality is someone who wants to learn from the Lord. David asks the Lord to show him His ways and His paths. David desires to know God's truth. So this is someone who is asking. David is not assuming that God will just pour instruction regardless. Instead, David shows a desire. Those who learn from the Lord have a desire to learn.
The second quality is someone willing to wait on the Lord. I must admit waiting is not typically the characteristic that comes to mind as I define myself. Waiting can be hard on our flesh. And this is not a passive waiting to see if God will help. This waiting is an expectancy that God will answer, God will teach. This waiting involves looking to the Lord for revelation from Him. And we keep looking to Him until we receive what we are asking about. So, when it comes to learning from the Lord, we will always be in a state of waiting.
The third quality is humility. He guides the humble, and the humble He teaches His way. If we already have our minds made up, there is not much room for the Lord to guide and teach. Have you ever tried to teach someone in an area where you had experience and wisdom, but they were not having it? What can you do? My suggestion is that if they are unwilling to listen, then there is no need to waste your time. One thing I tend to look at in trying to discern humility in another is: are they asking questions. I have noticed that young pastors who are planting churches initially have many questions for me. But somewhere along the path, they figure it out, and I don't hear from them again. But when it comes to the Lord, none of us has it all figured out. To keep learning from the Lord, we need to acknowledge that we do not know it all and we are woefully ignorant. When it comes to the Lord, we should always position ourselves as learners.
The last quality is what Solomon calls the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is where wisdom starts. Verses 12-14 show that the person who fears the Lord is taught by the Lord. Fear of the Lord is a reverential respect for God and a desire to please Him. The Lord shows His secrets to those who fear Him. We can understand that principle. Ever tried to teach someone who had no respect for you? Again, it's a waste of time. I am not looking for someone to cower when they are around me. But someone who shows no respect will, in most cases, not get much from me.
There is an infinite amount of wisdom we can learn from the Lord. And He is ready to teach us. So now it's up to us to position ourselves as learners.
PRAYER
Thank You for Your wisdom Lord. Help me to make the adjustments on my end so that I might position myself as someone who learns from You.