The Light of the Word (By: Chris B)

TEXT: PSALM 119: 97-120

OBSERVE:
Verses 97-104: The psalmist begins the stanza with a strong affirmation of his affection for the law which leads to his constant meditation on it.
Verses 105-112: The psalmist again expresses his deep commitment to follow God’s law and indeed wants to continually learn more about the law.
Verses 113-120: This stanza focuses on the threat that evil people are to the psalmist. These are people who do not love the law as the psalmist does.

INTERPRET: We can see that the Lord’s commands make the psalmist wise because they reveal God’s will. They also keep the psalmist from evil. Honey may be sweet, but God’s words are even sweeter as he speaks to them. It is also notable that the psalmist claims to be smarter than his teachers (v. 99), which may indicate that he is a relatively young person.
The psalmist’s life has been characterized by suffering, and he calls on God to help him, according to his Word. The law lights up a path of life, revealing to us God’s will for how we are to live. We thus can avoid many pitfalls and snares that may present troubles to our lives.
The psalmist knows that he does not have the resources to rebuff the attacks of evil people, so he puts his trust in God and his protection, knowing that God will not tolerate plots of the wicked. Double-minded people are those who appear to be following God, but really, they aren’t. They don’t truly love God’s law as the psalmist does.

APPLICATION: God’s Word is consistent with God’s character and expresses his will for how we should lead our lives. It illumines the way we are to live as God’s children and seeking to obey confers a blessing on the obedient. However, despite loving God’s Word, we will still suffer in this life and will be under attack from those who do not love God. To prepare for this, we need to be aware of our own failures and to seek God’s help every step of the way.
A few questions can be posed to all Christians in reflection of these verses:

• Does our outward (verbal) affirmation of the scriptures translate into a deep affection for God’s Word? Or are we double-minded?
• Does our commitment to follow our Lord Jesus lead us to deeper study and meditation on God’s Word?
• When we face struggles and obstacles, do we seek God and his Word to light up a path for us? Are we avoiding pitfalls as our path is illumined by his Word?

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your written Word which provides me with such strength for today and great hope for tomorrow. As I step out into the darkness of this fallen world, I pray that Your Word would truly lighten the way I take and lead me in the path of righteousness. Help me to hide its truths in my heart, and may I be ready and willing to follow Your will for my life as I face the difficulties and trials that lies ahead, in the strength of Your mighty power. Thank You for Your Word of light and truth in this dark world. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.
 
SONG: Amy Grant – Thy Word