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¹⁶⁹ Let my cry come before you, O Lord;
    give me understanding according to your word!
¹⁷⁰ Let my plea come before you;
    deliver me according to your word.
¹⁷¹ My lips will pour forth praise,
    for you teach me your statutes.
¹⁷² My tongue will sing of your word,
    for all your commandments are right.
¹⁷³ Let your hand be ready to help me,
    for I have chosen your precepts.
¹⁷⁴ I long for your salvation, O Lord,
    and your law is my delight.
¹⁷⁵ Let my soul live and praise you,
    and let your rules help me.
¹⁷⁶ I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
    for I do not forget your commandments.

It is often the case that the endings of epic books, movies and tv series’ can be disappointing. We long for a conclusion which will finish with a bang and wrap up all the loose ends. 

Some people have commented that the end to this long Psalm is particularly weak. There is no great crescendo. There is no final summary of everything the Psalmist has found and experienced. In fact, the very last verse is the most downbeat. The Psalmist declares himself to be a sinner.

But we must remember the point of the Psalm. It is not like a modern self help book. The Psalmist isn’t a guru who has gone from fat to fit and wants to share his success story. No - he is a fellow pilgrim who is on the way of blessing. He is not there yet. He is dependent on the Lord and his grace. 

And so as he finishes this Psalm he is calling us in and on to the way of the word. We join him as he reads and as he prays. Like the Psalmist we will pray for understanding (verse 169). We will long for deliverance - for complete salvation (verse 170). We will want his words to touch our hearts and open our lips (verse 171 and 172). We will want to be helped by all the Lord says (verse 175).

And we will also recognise we are lost sheep found by the Lord (verse 176).  Far from being a bad way to end this Psalm, it is a beautiful verse. As we hear God’s word we hear the voice of our shepherd. Wherever sheep are, they love the voice of their shepherd. If they are already safe and grazing it reassures them that he is still there providing and protecting them. If we are going on as Christians it’s a delight day by day to hear the voice of our Lord and Saviour. But if the sheep have wandered off and are in a place of danger, it is even better to hear the Shepherds voice coming to get them. If we have backslidden or fallen into sin, as we open the word we hear our Lord calling us and drawing us back. 

This is the path believers are on. And the Lord keeps us by his word. “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!”