Seen seven times

This week's verses are Psalm 119:161-168:

Rulers persecute me without cause,
    but my heart trembles at your word.
I rejoice in your promise
    like one who finds great spoil.
I hate and detest falsehood
    but I love your law.
Seven times a day I praise you
    for your righteous laws.
Great peace have those who love your law,
    and nothing can make them stumble.
I wait for your salvation, Lord,
    and I follow your commands.
I obey your statutes,
    for I love them greatly.
I obey your precepts and your statutes,
    for all my ways are known to you.

The Psalmist is fond of God's law. It is the establishment of order that keeps us on the best path. Even when powerful people and institutions are against us, God's divine plan is stronger and more important.

In these verses, there are two things which we could apply to our lives today. 

The first thing is the fact that the Psalmist praises God seven times a day. In the old days, devout people would have set times for prayer, the way Muslims do today. Some monks and priestly orders still do it. At certain times each day, life would stop and people would turn to prayer and worship for a few sacred moments before continuing on.

 

Practically speaking, set times ensure we don't go too long without checking in. The most important thing is the frequency and regularity, not the actual number. It doesn't have to be seven. Probably it wasn't seven for the Psalmist. People would say "seven" the way we say "ten" to mean "a bunch." If someone says "I do that ten times a day" it doesn't necessarily mean they count out ten times. It means they do it a bunch of times each day.

But we could do seven times easily if we really wanted to. We eat three meals a day. We get up and we go to bed. And usually we leave the house to go to work and come home again in the evening. Seven. We all have a pattern of life, and prayer and thanksgiving should be part of that daily pattern.

The second thing is the fact that the Psalmist is aware that God sees his actions. He's not invisible and anonymous. His actions are not without meaning. This is important when we're in a situation where we find ourselves asking "Does it really matter if I sin? Does anyone even know?"

We can easily become numb to sin in our society whose morality drifts further and further from God's morality. We might vehemently condemn someone for being part of the "wrong" political party, but give ourselves a free pass for not managing an addiction or for having sex outside of marriage. We might make a big fuss about the words someone uses, but be steeped in idolatry and mercilessness. We care more and more about the things everyone else cares about, but they're not running the same race we are. And in the end, if nobody else sees or cares about the things God tells us to watch out for, it's easy to begin thinking God doesn't either. 

So, among many things in these verses, the Psalmist is living out the righteous example of checking in periodically to make sure we're in alignment with God's will. He doesn't do it in a sense of obligation or duty, but in a sense of thankfulness and adoration. And he's telling us that our choices and actions matter.

 

We need to see and realize we are seen, with regards to our divine relationship with God. No more sleepy autopilot where we reach the end of the day and realize we've been out of touch and off the path for most of it.

We all have natural pauses in our day which are ideal for turning our eyes heavenward and checking in with God. And in those thankful pauses, where we thank God for what he's created and planned for us, we should also be aware that God has seen what we have done, and will see what we are about to do. So we should be careful in our choices and respectful in our actions.

If we deepen our relationship with God, we will naturally conform better to the way of life he has created us to live. We will have greater peace and joy, and a more intentional outlook on life. So, this week, think about establishing a more frequent prayer habit. And see if it keeps you coming back for more like the verses this week.