SCRIPTURE: Psalm 119:97-144
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. [Psalm 119:105]
It’s hard to walk in the dark.
When it is pitch black, even a small lamp can make a big difference.
The psalmist describes life in this world as a dark experience, like walking in the dark.
But thankfully God provides light for the path, a lamp that shows the way.
How do we navigate the challenges and temptations of this world, how do we avoid the pitfalls and moral dead-ends that cause so many people to crash and burn?
We pay close attention to what God has taught in the bible, and discern His perspective on good and evil, right and wrong – and we follow His way.
The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. [Psalm 119:130]
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. [John 3:19-21]
God has given us enough light to make good decisions, but if people prefer darkness (moral depravity) to light (moral goodness), they will not choose God’s way.
They will resist it, mock it, close their minds to it, anything but allow it to inform or correct them. – for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
It seems as if there are essentially two kinds of people: those who are open to having God speak into their lives, to shine His light on their dark paths and expose that which is wrong and point towards what is right… and those who are closed to this.
Those who hate the light, and those who live by the light.
When people are open to God’s truth, they become wise – walking in the light.
When people are closed to God’s truth, they become fools – walking in the dark.
Practically speaking, I need to be open to what God says about love, humility, morality, honesty, generosity, selflessness, forgiveness, kindness, purity etc.
He has something to say about my relationship with my family, my neighbours.
He has wisdom for handling money, for dealing with injustice, for helping those in need.
Will I step into the light of this wisdom, and allow it to change the way I live?
Or will I love darkness more than the light?
May my prayer be like the psalmist: Make your face shine on your servant and teach me your decrees. [Psalm 119:135]
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for shining the light of Your will into my life. Help me not to resist it but to choose each day to do what You want me to do, to go where You want me to go.
LightShine. SonShine.
All man walk around and stumble like blind men in this life unless they have the LightShine of God’s law within them. All men are groping their way in their walk like blind men, not seeing where they are going. They stumble and fall into the pits, holes, detours on the pathway of life since they do not have the Light of God’s law within them.
But those who have His Light can see the way of the road everlasting. Their feet are guided each day in every way because of His LightShine by His SonShine. That Light directs the Way in which to walk and that walk is a joy because the walk is in His Way – the King’s Highway – and He has made me glad.
TGIF. Help me to walk in Your way. Make me GodStrong. Then I can meet the challenges of the day because You empower me in all I do and say. Give me an understanding heart that I live for Jesus as I travel each day on the King’s highway as I do Your will for my life, being an instrument of Your peace.
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
Refrain
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
Refrain
But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.