Teach Me Your Way O Lord
“Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.” Psalm 25:4,5
There were many years which passed between the lives of Moses and David, and yet, these two men of God learned to pray in the same manner. Though there were aspects of their prayers which differed somewhat because of the needs at hand, and the circumstances in which they found themselves, they were both brought to the same point with regard to certain things to be prayed. One of these things had to do with the personal revelation of God to their own hearts, and this by the revelation of God’s ways. Both men learned well the lesson that God reveals Himself only according to His ways, in His time, and for His glory. Thus, both men prayed specifically that God would show them, or reveal to them, His ways. Even after Moses, who had been chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt, did so, and gave to them the Ten Commandments, Moses would ask God: “Now therefore, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me NOW your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.” (Exodus 33:13) David would pray the same thing, but in a slightly different way: “Show me Your ways, O Lord.” (Ps. 4) Why did these men pray in this manner? The first reason is that God alone knows the ways of God, and man can never devise or conceive them, unless they be revealed to them by the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Jesus would reiterate this truth by speaking of the Spirit to His disciples: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (Jn. 14:26)
The second thing to grasp here concerning coming to know the ways of God, is to see that they are to be sought. Paul, in his first prayer to the Ephesian believers, wrote specifically how he prayed to the Father, that He would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. (1:17) It is God alone, who by the Holy Spirit, takes the eternal, objective truth, and makes it real to the soul, giving wisdom in the knowledge of God’s ways. James the Apostle, concerning wisdom, would instruct the believers of the dispersion, to pray specifically for wisdom, a wisdom that God alone could, and would, give to the one who asked Him in faith. Christ is the wisdom of the believer. That wisdom is imparted when the believer prays in faith, according to the will of God.
What is the confidence, or expected result for the believer who prays in this manner? For Moses, the specific answer of the Lord was: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Ex. 33:14) What did the Lord mean by this? Is He just declaring the objective truth of His presence, or the active protective, providing, powerful presence of God working in the unseen to bring about His perfect will in and through His servant? His constant presence is the very Help and Strength of Moses, and all else that Moses needs. Concerning God’s presence, the Apostle Paul writes: “The Lord is at hand,” (Phil. 4:5) not just objectively so, but actively working and revealing Himself in such a manner that Moses, David, and the Apostle, will know Him.
The Lord also told Moses, in answer to his request in prayer, that He would give him “rest.” This rest is not only a peace WITH God, but the experience of the peace OF God. Jesus said to His disciples: “My peace I give to you.” (Jn. 14:27) Paul would write to the Colossian believers: “…And let the peace of God RULE in your hearts.” (3:15) God gives His peace by His Spirit to confirm His ways, and His will.
Dear Father, Show us Your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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