{"id":1878,"date":"2007-02-14T02:10:43","date_gmt":"2007-02-14T02:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/2007\/02\/integrity-as-service.html"},"modified":"2007-02-14T02:10:43","modified_gmt":"2007-02-14T02:10:43","slug":"integrity-as-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2007\/02\/integrity-as-service.html","title":{"rendered":"Integrity as Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

The psalmist’s integrity comes from God because his disposition before God is that of a “servant” (ebed<\/em>; see vv. 122, 124, 125):
\n124 \tDeal with your servant according to your love
\nand teach me your decrees.
\n125 \tI am your servant; give me discernment
\nthat I may understand your statutes.
\nIt is his to walk; it is the Lord’s to tell him where to walk. He is a servant. I doubt one should toss the barbs of synergism at the psalmist, but recognize that he knows he is responsible to obey but his obedience springs from God’s gracious teaching.
\nIt’s not our kind of syntax but it is a Hebrew kind of syntax: “Do unto your servant according to love.” That is, to turn it into colloquial English: “Love me, treat me in a loving manner.” How about “Give me some love!” (It’s Valentine’s Day you know.)
\nThis psalmist kind of love is one that leads to his being instructed and to discernment.
\nThe vulnerability of the psalmist is palpable: he’s open to God, he has faced God, he wants to hear from God, and he simply requests that God teach him. He’s listening to God. He is before God as a servant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The psalmist’s integrity comes from God because his disposition before God is that of a “servant” (ebed; see vv. 122, 124, 125): 124 Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees. 125 I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-psalm-119"],"yoast_head":"\nIntegrity as Service - Jesus Creed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2007\/02\/integrity-as-service.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Integrity as Service - Jesus Creed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The psalmist’s integrity comes from God because his disposition before God is that of a “servant” (ebed; 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