Direct my footsteps according to your word
Psalms 119:133 - Allowing God’s Word to direct our footsteps makes us aware of sin, gives us the ability to avoid being under its dominion, and provides an escape route from its pernicious effects.
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“Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.”
Psalms 119:133 NIV
Today’s verse is from Psalm 119, which is special in many ways. We’ve featured other verses from this Psalm before. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter of the Bible with 176 verses, and it is written as an acrostic — that is, each of the 22 stanzas begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet (from א (aleph) to ת (taw)), and each stanza consists of 8 verses of two lines each.
You could say that Psalm 119 is a poetic celebration of God’s divine law. It is routinely recited during Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), reflecting on renewal and providing a way to reflect on God’s Word. One other gem of information about Psalm 119 — King David is believed to have taught his son Solomon the Hebrew alphabet and spiritual principles by having him recite and memorize the psalm. It’s not only a literary showpiece, but has educational value as well!
The psalm begins with a plea to “direct my footsteps according to your word.” The psalmist has a desire to take God’s mercy and use it to live a more righteous life. David Guzik of Enduring Word provides this commentary on the psalm (slightly different wording due to a different Bible translation):
i. Many today want to direct their steps by something else, anything else other than the word of God.
“Direct my steps by my feelings.”
“Direct my steps by my lusts.”
“Direct my steps by my friends.”
“Direct my steps by my parents.”
“Direct my steps by my circumstances.”
“Direct my steps by my fate.”
“Direct my steps by my comfort.”
ii. The idea of the Hebrew here, according to Spurgeon, is “Make my steps firm in thy word.” We can walk forward in life with confidence as we find direction in God’s word.
iii. “The psalmist would be kept from all vacillation, hesitation, or wandering; but he wants, when he is right, to be firmly right, to be distinctly, decidedly right, so he pleads, ‘Make my steps firm.’ Oh, how we often stagger along! We do what is right, but we quiver and shake while we are doing it.” (Spurgeon)
Living by God’s Word, the psalmist pleaded to “let no sin rule over me.” Even those with strong spiritual lives can let sin rule over them; think of the number of famed pastors who have had their lives ruined when a persistent sin pattern became publicly known!
We may know people in our lives who have started down a path of sin with a single drink, a single pill, a “minor” act of shoplifting, one glance at pornography, and so on. Without a willful desire and the power of God’s help, sin can easily grow to rule a life both physically (addictions) and spiritually (loss of faith).
Allowing God’s Word to direct our footsteps makes us aware of sin, gives us the ability to avoid being under its dominion, and provides an escape route from its pernicious effects. We can be confident of this in the time of the New Testament, as Romans 6:11-14 advises us:
“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”
Today’s devotional ends with these words from Spurgeon, cited on Enduring Word:
ix. “Brethren, we can overcome sin in the power of the Lord…. Sin is strong, but grace is stronger. Satan is wise, but God is all-wise. The Lord is on our side.” (Spurgeon)
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Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, direct my life in accordance with Your Word and let no sin rule over me. Help me to always walk in Your ways, and shelter me from temptation. May Your guidance align my life with Your will, free from the oppression of sin and filled with Your light. AMEN.