3.247 Seek Thy Servant

In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, reminding us that our lives are meant to preserve, illuminate, and point others to him. This season on Savory Salt, we'll walk through the Old Testament, one verse and one thought each day. Perhaps these moments will add greater savor and brighter light to our lives as we seek to truly live as Savory Salt.

Hello, my friends. It's a new day with new opportunities. Choose ye this day whom you will serve.

Just when you thought Psalms was getting small and comfortable and just a few verses here and a little bit of praise there, Psalm 119 comes along and it's like 20 Psalms in one. So we are going to dive into Psalm 119 today for our verse for today. Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible.

It is 176 verses. But even more than that, something really cool about it that maybe you're not aware of. It is an acrostic poem to praise the Lord.

The Lord is from A to Z, and here what he is from A to Z. Now, if you're not familiar with what an acrostic poem is, we used to do these when I was teaching. You basically can take a word, you line it up down the side of the paper, and then that letter kind of begins and kicks off.

That you could do two ways there: You could use the letter to start off a whole sentence, or you can just say one word to describe it. Obviously, Psalm 119 basically kicks off those letters and then has seven or eight verses associated with the Lord is from A to Z. So before we get to our verse for today, why don't you take an opportunity yourself, do an acrostic poem for what the Lord is for you.

If you don't want to do it in your current alphabet, ours, you know, A to Z in English is 26 letters. If you don't want to take that time, perhaps just pick one of your favorite words that the Lord is, one of his characteristics, and write yourself out a little acrostic poem. So there's an activity to do for today.

Let's get to our verse for today and the connection that I have with it as well. Psalm 119, verse 176, actually. It's not often I have an opportunity to share from verse 176, so I took it.

Here's what it says: "I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments." Now this one really actually stuck out to me primarily because one of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon is Abinadi. And if this phrase perhaps stuck out to you in just a little bit, this idea of "I've gone astray like a lost sheep," I, out here, sometimes stray like a sheep.

Sometimes I wander a little bit. I'm not forgetting the commandments. I'm still trying to do my best, but sometimes I get a little distracted, like sheep do.

So I need a shepherd, and I'm grateful here for this little phrase: "Seek thy servant." I'm going to give it to you one more time so that you hear it in those pieces: "I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments." My friends, as we do our best, there are going to be days where we make mistakes. I'm grateful for this one as a reminder for us to keep on our own prayers.

Heavenly Father, please seek thy servant because I'm doing the best I can, but I also need you to come and meet me where I'm at. I love that one. I hope you take an opportunity for your acrostic poem, and if you want to give it a share, pass it around on social media or just some friends and family in a private circle.

Show them the acrostic poem that you've made, for the Lord truly is from A to Z. That's all for today, my friends. You and I have come here for such a time as this.

Step forward in faith, and let's be savory salt. We will be here tomorrow, and we hope you are too.