A Renewed Life Comes From God’s Word
In these stanzas (33-40) the psalmist sees his life and his sin more fully in the light of God’s perfect righteousness revealed in His word. We can see his heart in his seven prayers that begin each one of these lines: “Teach me,” “give me understanding,” “make me walk,” “incline my heart,” “turn away my eyes,” “establish Your word,” and “turn away my reproach.”
These stanzas can be divided into three sections. A Prayer for Knowledge and Understanding (33-35), A Prayer for Divine Help to Live Faithfully (36-37), and A Prayer for a Renewed Life (38-40).
In the first section (33-35) the psalmist prays that God would teach him His word so that he may understand it and keep it with all his heart. God uses gifted men to teach His people His word so that they may have understanding and live by it.
In the second section (36-37) the psalmist asks for God’s help to remain faithful to His word. All believers are surrounded by the “vain” and worthless things of this world. These things are enticing and our hearts will desire them above all else if we are not careful. These things may be directly against God and His word, or they may be things that are simply without God and seek us to live our lives apart from Him.
In the final section (38-40) the psalmist prays that God would renew his mind to the extent that His word permeates his life. The psalmist acknowledges that a greater knowledge of God’s word produces a greater reverence for God (38). It is through faith in God that reproach is removed and sins forgiven. God declares a person righteous and they then continually renewed by the word of God.