I run in the paths of your commands,
for you have set my heart free.
Psalm 119:32
God’s good law establishes healthy boundaries for us.
Just as we don’t resent the owner’s manual for our vehicle telling us that we need to add five quarts of oil to achieve optimal efficiency, we should not resent it when God, through His Word, provides advice for us to run well.
He is our creator; His Word is our manual.
His commands are not rules to rob of us our joy, but precepts to keep us healthy and safe. The Psalmist figured that out and is cluing us in. Read the verse above again. Does it sound like a person living under a yoke of legalism and oppression? Indeed, it does not. The Psalmist is delighting in the joy that comes with freedom.
As followers of Christ, we have been set free from the consequences of sin and death for eternity. But also set free in this life here and now – free from the shackles of living to please others, free from the oppression of rules laid out to gain the approval of others, free from the self-imposed standard of perfection we often place on ourselves.
Living under the authority and lordship of Christ brings peace, joy, and contentment that can be found in no one and nothing else.
The picture that comes to mind as I read Psalm 119:32 is school children at recess … sprinting from the building, ready to embrace the freedom to play and run. Their squealing and laughter testify to the joy of a welcome break from school work, sitting quietly, and studying diligently.
Several years ago, I heard of a study completed of school children at a playground. When fences were in place around the perimeter, the children spread out. They played and enjoyed every square inch of the vast playground. But when the fences were removed, they huddled in the center, fearful to get close to the edges of the property. Their need to be safe robbed them of freedom.
When we respect the healthy “fences” our Heavenly Father provides for us, we are blessed with joy and laughter, as well. When we climb over (or tear down) those fences, we forfeit our freedom in Christ. We bring on ourselves the pain that comes with sin.
Is your heart free? Have you found freedom in Christ? Are you running in the playground of His commands – enjoying every square inch He has provided for you?
If your “heart has been set free” as the Psalmist’s was, then why not grab every blessing He has for you by choosing to “run in the paths” of our Lord’s commands?
Would you stop now and praise Him for the blessing of His Word, and for the freedom that comes with obedience to it?
In this week’s devotional video, Laura and her friend, Sheila Bennage, discuss Luke 13:12. In this passage, Jesus heals a woman who has been crippled – bent over – for 18 years! We invite you to listen as Laura and Sheila discuss this account of physical healing (that can point us to the greater spiritual healing available in Christ) and hope you will be challenged to consider areas where the enemy has you living less – living bent over – when you can live FREE because of your identity in Him!
