Week 2 Wednesday — Walking with the Word
Wednesday: ה He - Psalm 119:33-40
Wednesday: ה He - Psalm 119:33-40
Introduction
Today we move to the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, He (ה). In Hebrew grammar, He is used at the beginning of a verb to make it causative—to transform action from something you do to something that causes you to do. This is precisely the heart of the prayers in this stanza. The psalmist isn’t just asking for help; he’s acknowledging that without God causing these things to happen in him, he has little hope of succeeding.
Listen to how his prayers literally sound: “Cause me to learn.” “Cause me to follow.” “Cause my heart to incline toward.” “Cause my eyes to look away.” This is a transformed heart crying out to God—a heart that has moved beyond self-reliance to complete dependence.
The psalmist is describing God’s Word as a catalyst for the heart change he desires. A catalyst is an agent—chemical, biological, or personal—that accelerates change or reaction without being consumed in the process. God’s Word doesn’t diminish when it transforms us; it remains fully potent, ready to work again and again.
Scripture
³³Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.
³⁴Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
³⁵Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.
³⁶Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
³⁷Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
³⁸Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared.
³⁹Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good.
⁴⁰Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!— Psalm 119:33-40 (ESV)
Reflection
The psalmist begins with a declaration of intent: “Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end” (v. 33). He’s not just asking for guidance—he’s declaring his desire to follow God’s way for all the remaining days of his life. This goes beyond casual obedience. It’s a lifetime commitment.
But notice the honesty beneath that declaration. The psalmist knows himself well enough to understand that desire alone isn’t enough. Left to himself, he is unable to keep God’s way, much less keep it to the end. As Paul would later write in Philippians 2:13, it is “God’s work in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” The psalmist has received God’s “will”—the desire—and now he prays for the “doing” of it.
“Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart” (v. 34). Without understanding, the psalmist knows he cannot successfully act on the desire of his transformed heart. Understanding is essential if we are to delight in God’s Word, for the Word to be transformative, and to even know God’s way in the first place.
“Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it” (v. 35). We need no instruction in the way of sin, self-satisfaction, pride, or envy. Those come naturally. But walking in God’s path? That requires divine empowerment. The psalmist knows that despite his heart’s desire to do God’s will and walk in God’s way, he cannot navigate that path without God’s leading.
Then comes a crucial prayer about focus: “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways” (vv. 36-37). The psalmist understands what Jesus would later declare in Matthew 6:21: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Our hearts naturally incline toward what we treasure and delight in. He recognizes that covetousness is a barrier to walking in God’s way and that a heart inclined toward God’s Word would help him be content with what God has provided.
He also understands the “lust of the eyes”—how easily our gaze can fix on the worthless things of the world that have no eternal value and little value even in this present age. So he prays that God will help him turn away from such things and focus on what God values. Things are worthless when they do no good, do not last, help no one else, do not build faith, hope, or love, or distract from things that are godly and truly worthy.
The stanza closes with the psalmist asking God to confirm His promise and turn away reproach, not for his own comfort, but “that you may be feared” (v. 38). He doesn’t want anything in his life to detract from God’s Word speaking to others. And finally, he returns to where Monday’s stanza left off: “In your righteousness give me life!” (v. 40).
From dust to life. From clinging to running. From sorrow to delight. All of it dependent on God’s causative work—teaching, giving understanding, leading, inclining, turning, confirming, giving life.
“Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end.” — This is the way.
Prayer Prompts
Lord,
I confess that I often try to walk in Your ways through my own strength and discipline. But today I acknowledge my complete dependence on You. Cause me to learn Your Word. Cause me to follow Your path. Incline my heart toward Your testimonies and away from selfish gain. Turn my eyes from worthless things that distract and devalue my life. Give me understanding so I can observe Your law with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of Your commandments, for I want to delight in them. In Your righteousness, give me life! Amen.
Response
Reflect on these questions today:
What “worthless things” do you need to remove from your life or turn your eyes away from? What’s competing for your attention and affection that has no eternal value? How might you solicit the Holy Spirit’s help to turn away?
The psalmist prays “incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain.” Where is your heart currently inclined? What do you treasure most? If your calendar and bank account reveal what you truly value, what would they say about your priorities?
“Cause me to learn, follow, incline, turn.” In what specific area do you need God to cause transformation rather than trying to manufacture it yourself? What would it look like to stop striving and start surrendering that area to God’s causative work?