Do You View God As Your Teacher?

A Few Thoughts to Consider

How do you learn to do God’s will?

David teaches us in Psalm 143 that our greatest teacher is God. “This psalm is classified as one of the seven penitential psalms (6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143). Part of the reason for the designation lies in the confessional nature of certain psalms and part of the reason lies in its use within the Christian community.”^[1]

“This psalm, much like Psalm 142, envisions David desperately asking God to spare his life in the face of strong and wicked enemies.”^[2] It’s a heartfelt prayer where David acknowledges his own unworthiness and pleads for deliverance from his enemies, asking God to remember his faithfulness and righteousness. Then, in verse 10, David offers these profound words: “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground.” As John Walton and Craig Keener note,

The roads of the ancient Near East were for the most part, unpaved (except for a few roads in the Late Assyrian period). Although unpaved, those that were intended for wheeled transport (called “wagon roads” in the Nuzi tablets) had to be staked out, leveled, and consistently maintained. However, very few texts describe the construction and maintenance of these roads. Roads for heavy transport were somewhat rare and were primarily along the trade routes.^[3]

This passage reminds us of Psalm 23:3, where David writes, “he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” The implication is clear: When God is our teacher, he leads us in the way we need to go. But when we try to go through life on our own, our paths will wind in many directions as we try to stumble upon our calling in life.

But when we follow God’s will, there is wonderful freedom and security. As Adam Clarke wrote, “To be found doing the will of God is the only safe state for man.”^[4]