On Being Teachable
There once was a woman who held a minor managerial job that became a little over her head. She was not well-educated but very proud and did not know her limitations. When it came to reports, she had her own way of completing them.
Her supervisor asked a former teacher, who had infinite patience, to instruct her how to do things the company way. But it was a struggle amidst times of resentment, false pride and feelings of inferiority, attached to an authority problem. She insisted that her primitive way of keeping records was better - but errors kept happening.
The sessions ended in frustration to both women, but the final report the instructor gave was - "Unteachable."
I've wondered at times why it is like that with people. Some people simply refuse to bother improving their minds. It is a form of elitism, on a much lesser rung than scholarly. When it comes to growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, it is a derailment to the cause of Christ.
But a vast number of people who have accepted Christ as their savior are grateful to have access into God's grace and the capacity to graduate from the milk of the word to strong meat. (Hebrews 5:12, 14)
To stop growing spiritually is like going from warm and sunny seasons into the cold of Winter with no preparation of firewood to keep warm. It's worse in some ways than backsliding in that the result is - nothing - just nothing.
One just floats through church services, socials, bazaars, parties, all under the assumption that that is all the Lord expects from Christians. It is indifference, laziness, a lack of spirituality, even arrogance.
But David was filled with desire to know as much about the Lord and his ways and paths as he could get. He delighted himself in writing Psalms, singing praises of worship to Yahweh, protector of Israel. And he still had time to fight wars, handle the "affairs of state" involving Bathsheba, and international and domestic problems.
To say that you don't have time to read and meditate on the word of God is a "cop-out." Whatever the amount of work you have to do, you will do it better with the Lord along side.
"Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, (Psalm 25:4-7)
In verses 4 and 5, the Psalmist sets an agenda: "show me," "teach me," "lead me," and then "teach me" some more. He just can't get enough. Yahweh created his own ways of administering order in the world and in the universe. He knows the paths we should take and David did not want to take a wrong direction at the fork in the road. He learned early to "Trust in the LORD with all heart; and lean not unto own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)
David, in verse 5, eagerly waited to learn from the Lord each morning upon rising, Yahweh was his salvation. Not the salvation accounted to those who believe, but a salvation of a continuing action, of always saving from temptation or from danger - it's also called preservation.
The creator of the universe and the special God to Israel preserves because "he inhabitest the praises of Israel." (Psalm 22:3) Accordingly, he is also our goodness, fortress, high tower, deliverer, and shield. (Psalm 144:2)
He has a plan for Israel. Man failed every plan God gave him in ancient times of Israel. The Lord, himself, will complete his plan through man, when he returns to earth. He will show his people his ways and lead them on his paths again, this time into Jerusalem where he will sit on the throne of David in the kingdom of heaven.
By his word are all things are preserved. (1Thessalonians 5:23) By his word he illuminates those who love him. (Psalm 119:105)
In verse 6, he asks the Lord TO REMEMBER two of his characteristics extended down to man: "tender mercies" and "loving kindness." The totally sanctified believer, separated from the world, has no problem in remembering things of the Lord. They are brought to mind by the "comforter" (Holy Spirit) that Jesus promised his disciples would come after him and bring them to remember all things he told them. (John 14:26)
It was a comfort to me in the night before an operation for a malignant tumor, to remember his tender mercies and loving kindness. I remembered because I stored the word of God in my heart. It was impossible to read my Bible at that time - but the written word and the Living Word of God was with me. My recall is faulty, but the word is in there and the Comforter brings them to mind in meditation.
Later, as a chaplain assigned to the oncology ward. I saw fright on the faces of so many Christians facing dire situations. "Chaplain, where is it in the Bible where it says . . . .?" Sometimes, it wasn't in the Bible; from another source of Benjamin Franklin, or Elbert Hubard.
I often wondered if there had been no chaplain to pray with them and supply their needs from the Bible, how much joy and comfort they would have had if they had stored up scripture in their hearts for the rough times - to let the Holy Spirit bring Jesus to mind.
In verse 7, David implores Yahweh TO NOT REMEMBER every rotten thing he ever did. As likable as he was and as much as the Lord loved him, David was no Chester Do-good! But he paid an awful price for his veering into the wrong fork of the road - even for just a moment of time.
Sin has a bitter price - broken fellowship with God. It isn't worth it! David's sins were presumptuous; he knew better. But we know that he suffered much remorse and guilt for the sins he did. The Psalms are full of his penitential prayers. But true repentance brings God's forgiveness.
Nevertheless, as much as God loved David and forgave him, he is still God and his attributes of righteousness and justice will not be violated. God never changes and keeps his covenant promises. Messiah will sit on the throne of David and all Israel will be saved, regardless of them being a stiff-necked people and regardless of what David did. It's a part of God's plan.
God is forgiving and as believers, who are justified by his grace, ". . . we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:2) But one of the hardest things for some people to do is to believe that they are forgiven. Guilt hovers overhead like a cloud that is about to drop a storm.
In hanging on to guilt, we throw ourselves back into the Old Testament, when the Holy Spirit was not universally given to those who believe - not until Jesus became our propitiation for sin. Now we are kept by the "earnest of our inheritance, planted and dwelling in our hearts."
When Jesus says, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37) Again, for emphasis, "I WILL IN NO WISE CAST OUT!" Not to believe that is to make him a liar, and God cannot lie.
David in verse 7 mentions sins and transgression, seemingly meaning the same thing. But sins are those lusts and misdeeds of our natural sin nature that cause us to be estranged from God. "Transgressions" are those more serious presumptive sins in our knowing to do good, but intentionally not doing it.
The Bible, in similitude and examples, is clear that sins and transgressions are too much for man to bear. Guilt produces stress, and transgressions add more fuel to the fire (no pun intended). Fulfilled lusts may be pleasant for a season, but consequently they will break down the spirit, and that in turn will break down the body - your organs will weaken and fail.
That is the time when you will wish that you had bothered to learn more about the Lord Jesus Christ, committing his word to memory.
One thing that I praise the Lord for - I feel that I am teachable – how about you? ". . . and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me." (Psalm 119:29-30)
Pastor Bulldog
