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Tomorrow

             You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. (Psalm 119:4-8)


This bit of song describes my daily life. I could have also shared part of Romans 7. I want to get up in the morning and live life according to God’s laws – natural and moral. I’d feel so much better if I didn’t shoot myself in the foot repeatedly every day. I would love to demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (especially self-control!) with every breath. But as I go to bed most nights, there’s that sense that I failed. As I walked today, this passage was my thought.

But then comes the second part of the passage. “I will praise you…as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey...” Future tense with a progressive sense. I will…as I learn…I will. It’s about improvement, not perfection. We can sing “Tomorrow” with this passage. Tomorrow, I will learn a little more. Tomorrow, because I’ve learned and because what I’ve learned is perfect, I will get a little closer. I won’t have learned it perfectly, but I’ll get a little better. Maybe only one pixel of the picture of me will make one subtle change toward the image of Christ, but I will praise Him with an upright heart, someday as I learn (not just head knowledge, but practical, experiential knowledge) His righteous laws. I will obey His decrees. Maybe for 0.001 seconds longer than I did today, but I will. And so will you.

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