Samekh.
113 I hate those who are double-minded,
But I love Your law.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield;
I [ay]wait for Your word.
115 Depart from me, evildoers,
That I may observe the commandments of my God.
116 Sustain me according to Your [az]word, that I may live;
And do not let me be [ba]ashamed of my hope.
117 Uphold me that I may be safe,
That I may have regard for Your statutes continually.
118 You have [bb]rejected all those who wander from Your statutes,
For their deceitfulness is [bc]useless.
119 You have [bd]removed all the wicked of the earth like dross;
Therefore I love Your testimonies.
120 My flesh [be]trembles for fear of You,
And I am afraid of Your judgments.
We live in a very distracted world, and there are a ton of things that try to distract people from God. The psalmist opens this passage speaking of those who are double-minded, but many in our world are triple, quadruple minded. It’s so bad, sometimes we ought to say poly-minded (poly=many).
The apostle James warns us that a double-minded person is unstable in all their ways (1:8). Not just some, but all their ways. That’s not a place we want to live, indeed it is not a place we were designed to live, as evidenced by a rise in the popularity of “minimalism”. It’s no wonder so many are trying to simplify in a world where we are bombarded by a hundred different things competing for our attention.
If we want to be stable then, to be safe and sound, in both our mind and spirit, we need some help. The psalmist gives us some clues, as God is our “hiding place and shield”. If we observe the commandments of God, and are sustained by His word, instead of the myriad things that try to crowd our minds, we will not be ashamed.
Ultimately, we need focus, and there is nothing like the fear of God to focus our attention. If we really fear God–not in a scary, God’s got a big hammer, type of way–but have awe, respect, and true admiration for Him. If we are willing to submit our lives to His hammer and chisel, God will chip away the excess, and He will burn away the dross.
It will likely not be comfortable (much like minimalism), but if we want what is best, then we need to trust the hand of the master Craftsman. Let him mold and shape you, cleanse you and purify you. Let him make you single-minded, whole-hearted and healthy. Reject the ways of the world, love His commands, and devote every fiber of your being to following Him. And then, as we saw last week, do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that!