God's Word Lights Our Way Series

PSALM 119: 105-112 [The Ministry of The Word Series]

GOD'S WORD LIGHTS OUR WAY

You may be able to relate to what Psalm 119 says about the joy of reading and meditating on God's Word. But most of us have also experienced dry spells–times when we don't seem to get much from the Bible. This [14th- Nun] section brings to the forefront how we can overcome dry spells by letting God's Word light our way forward with Him (CIT).

Recognizing that God's Word was his light to direct him (v. 130; Prov. 6:23) the psalmist vowed to follow it (Ps. 119:105-106). In his distress (vv. 107-110) he called for help and affirmed that he would joyfully follow God's statutes and decrees (vv. 111-112).

[This world is a battleground. No wonder we're exhorted to put on our spiritual armor and to take up the "sword of the Spirit," which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). It is by this Word that we will conquer.]

I. GOD'S WORD GUIDES US, 105-106.

II. GOD'S WORD GUARDS US, 107-110.

III. GOD'S WORD GLADDENS US,111-112.

In verse 105 the psalmist confesses that God's Word is the guide for his life. "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Path, a frequent word in Scripture, here has a light added to it. Light makes a path followable, even in the darkness. If you ever gone on a NIGHT HIKE /walk in the deep forest you know how it is difficult to see anything. You may even step in hole or trip on a root. Even if we have a flashlight, we don't see very far down the trail, but we see where we are to place our next step. Likewise, God's Word lights our path as we walk through the darkness of this world one step at a time. It reveals the entangling roots of false values and philosophies. Study the Bible and you will see your way clear enough to stay on the right path.

Someone has observed, "He who carries a lantern on a dark road at night sees only one step ahead. When he takes that step, the lamp moves forward and another step is made plain. He finally reaches his destination in safety without once walking in darkness. All the way is lighted, but only a single step at a time. This is the method of God's guidance."

When a person receives the Lord Jesus as Savior, he knows his ultimate destination and is assured of his safe arrival. But the dark cloud of the unknown can veil the pilgrim pathway. Potential pitfalls, lurking dangers, and tragic missteps often upset the weary traveler and rob him of the peace and confidence the Lord intended for him to enjoy.

But as the child of God refuses to worry about tomorrow and trusts Him for today, he finds by the light of God's Word the grace and guidance for every situation in life. Even as a lantern illuminates each new step on a dark road at night, so the lamp of Scripture provides light on our pathway.

It isn't necessary to see beyond what the Lord reveals. Following His leading, there's always enough light for each step of the way. [RWD. Our Daily Bread. Radio Bible Class.] God does not lead us year by year, nor even day by day, but step by step our path unfolds as our Lord directs our way. There is no need to fear the darkness tomorrow if you're walking in God's light today. Just step into each new day and each new circumstance lead by the light of God's Word.

With this light before him the psalmist in verse 106 confesses that he has entered into covenant with God to be guided by His Word. "I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances.

His language is a legal oath and emphatic. He will uphold [confirm] the law of God as it applies to the situations of this life. His ethics are absolute rather than relative. They are not determined by the particular context within which he finds himself, but by his previous commitment to God and His Word. [At the same time, such a stance provokes persecution as the next verse reveals.]

The Pennsylvania State Highway Department once set out to BUILD A BRIDGE, working from both sides. When the two crews of workers reached the middle of the waterway, they were 13 feet to one side of each other. Alfred Steinberg, writing some time ago in the Saturday Evening Post, went on to explain that each crew had used its own reference point.

A small bronze disk at Meades Ranch Triangulation Station in Osborne, Kan., marks the place where the 39th parallel crosses the 98th meridian. The National Geodetic Survey, a federal agency whose business it is to locate the exact position of every in the United States, used this scientifically recognized reference point until the advent of an even more precise reference the global positioning system (GPS). All ocean liners and commercial planes rely on the Survey. The government can build no dams nor can it shoot off a missile without this agency to tell it exact locations-to the very inch.