Not a “Walkabout”

In native Australian tribes, a customary test that a young man must endure as a right of passage to manhood is called a “walkabout.” The youth is supposed to go alone into the wild for a period of time, surviving on what he can scavenge or kill. If he makes it back—and most do, of course—he earns the right to become a man and to marry.

Though it may seem otherwise sometimes, we’re not called upon to venture out on a solitary “walkabout” in our Christian life. In fact, the first eight verses of Psalm 119 make clear that we have a significant companion to help us walk in the right way: the Word of God and the God of the Word.

Note that our Divine Companion for the walk enables our potential for a success. It is to Him, after all, that the prayer of verses 5-8 is confidently offered.

No question, though, we do face significant challenges:
Nevertheless, accepting the challenges yields a tremendous reward: true happiness (vv. 1, 2 – “blessed”). And fortunately, we aren’t expected to tackle this challenging life on our own, for we can—and must, really—call upon the Lord to remain with us in this walk (v. 8b); His presence is, after all, indispensable!

Don’t miss this, though. If we’re going to meet the challenges before us successfully, we need to be deeply committed! The psalmist sets the example in v. 8a – “I will keep your statutes.” And there’s a simple reason we need to make this commitment: the Lord has commanded us to keep His precepts! (v. 4)

Ah, but do we not all feel the tendency to wander, as the songwriter declared, “prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love”?

Again, the psalmist is as human as we, for he expressed that tendency in the form of a longing prayer, “O that my ways were directed to keep your statutes!” (v. 5).

At this point enters the Lord’s kind, skilled hand of correction. To “learn” the Lord’s judgments means to have been goaded by the rod. May not seem like a pleasant experience, but when we consider the alternative—being left to our own destructive path—should we not break forth in praise? (v. 7)

So, what is our goal in this endeavor we call “the Christian walk”? To be super saints who have the respect and admiration of all who behold our piety?

Not hardly.

The goal is simply to glorify our God by honoring His Word as it rightly deserves—not to mere select portions that we like, but “unto all your commandments.” Then we shall not be ashamed (v. 6).

A worthy goal indeed.