Psalm 119:29 | “Put false ways far from me, and graciously teach me your law!”

The psalmist pleads for God to remove “false ways” from his life. Spurgeon wisely notes, “Holy men cannot review their sins without tears, nor weep over them without entreating to be saved from further offending.” The Hebrew word for “false” refers not only to lies or deceit but also to what is empty and without substance, things that appear secure for a season but will ultimately collapse. He longs to be purified from everything worthless and to be fixed on what is lasting and true. Our hearts, too, are easily drawn to what is fleeting. Ask God to expose any pattern, habit, or desire that rests on something empty or unstable. Then ask him to remove what is false and replace it with a deeper love for his truth. May we be so grounded in God’s law that we are spared from all that is empty and foolish. The grace of God not only forgives false ways, it leads us into better ones.