It really is kind of a shocking end to what’s been a magnificent and glorious opus. And what an opus Psalm 119 has been.

It’s been a song to beat all other songs — not just in length, not just in the clever use of the Hebrew alphabet and as a master class in alliteration, but in illustrating an orientation towards, and a desire for the Word of God that stirs the heart with longing to make the song one’s own. The songwriter loves the Word, rests in the Word, longing even to ingest the Word. His delight is in the Word, his hope is in the Word, his deepest desire is to always obey the Word. He claims the Word as a lamp for His feet, the unfailing plumb-line able to keep him from evil, an ever-reliable GPS presenting the way of righteousness.

So, to sing the final words of the last verse, to mouth the closing lyrics of the songwriter’s Spirit-led love song for God’s revelation, feels, at first, like hitting a bad note. Like playing a wrong chord. Like singing a misplaced lyric. Or does it?

Let my cry come before You, O LORD;
       give me understanding according to Your word!
Let my plea come before You;
       deliver me according to Your word.
My lips will pour forth praise,
       for You teach me Your statutes.
My tongue will sing of Your word,
       for all Your commandments are right.
Let Your hand be ready to help me,
       for I have chosen Your precepts.
I long for Your salvation, O LORD,
       and Your law is my delight.
Let my soul live and praise You,
       and let Your rules help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant,
       for I do not forget Your commandments.

(Psalm 119:169-176 ESV)

Give me understanding . . . teach me Your statutes . . . for I have chosen Your precepts . . . Your rules help me . . . Your commandments are right . . . Your law is my delight . . .

Sing it, bro!

I have gone astray like a lost sheep . . .

Screech!!!! What?!?!? Who just dragged the needle across that vinyl? Where did that come from?

From being real.

While we may love the Word, long for the Word, study to show ourselves faithful workmen and workwomen of the Word, and determine to obey the Word, if we’re real with ourselves, the times are many, and the circumstances too common where we wander from the Word.

Tripped up by sin. Fallen to the flesh. Frustrated because the good I want to do I don’t and because the evil I do not want to do I keep on doing. Though I have the desire to do what is right, again and again I come up short on the ability to carry it out (Rom. 7:18b-19). And so, more often than I care to admit — and probably more often than I actually do admit — I go astray like a lost sheep.

Yeah, just keeping it real.

But you know what else is real? We have a Good Shepherd (John 10:11-16) who leaves the ninety-nine in order to go after the one that’s wandered off (Luke 15:3-7). And to Him we can sing, “Seek Your servant” . . . “Come and find me” (NLT).

And He does! No matter how far we roam, He persistently always finds the way to the door of our heart and knocks. If we’ll open the door, He comes in, ready to again commune with us (Rev. 3:20). And He leads us back, even if that means picking us up and carrying us on His shoulders.

Praise God!

While we may falter, He never fails. While we might rebel, His kindness leads us to repentance. While we might stray, He will always seek.

Okay . . . So, maybe it’s not such a bad way to end the song.

Because it sings of His amazing grace. And because it resounds for His all-deserving glory.

Amen?