Psalm 119:156 Feel With

My life has been a continual switchback journey between desiring God and His righteousness and desiring my favorite forms of unrighteousness.

The experience of my six-plus decades tells me my greatest happiness comes when I align my heart with the heart of God, and yet I'm fairly confident not one of those 23,000+ days has passed without me chasing after the unrighteousness whims of my own godless heart.

Maturity has trained me to seek my greatest fulfillment through actively serving God's mission, and yet I've squandered hours and days - even months and years - of my life in active pursuit of trivia and folly.

Looking back on the path behind me as I get nearer to the end of my time on earth, regret pours from my eyes. I cry thinking about the opportunities I missed because I was preoccupied, the adventures I've avoided because I preferred leisure.

Your compassion, Lord, is great;
 preserve my life according to your laws.

Psalm 119:156

The word compassion literally means to "feel with". The Lord feels all these things, the joys and the regrets, with me. And yet He still offers me the best resource for aligning my passions with His and making my life shine with His glory.

Time spent diving deep into His laws, swimming in the wisdom of His Word, is the key to His heart and to my heart.