“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word! Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your rules. I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.nYour testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.”
Psalm 119:105-112
It is not without great diligence that we make our way around in the dark. Whether avoiding the obstacles of a kid’s toys, trying not to stub your toes or simply finding your direction, it is a difficult task to make your way in the dark. Let’s take this idea into the clouds. The Bible teaches us that Satan has blinded our hearts and minds; in other words, his work of deception is directly linked to our inability to see. Scripture elsewhere speaks of the nature of darkness and light, likening our salvation as a type of coming into the light (1 Peter 2:9). There’s certainly more here than pertains to our sight, so let’s certainly not make the mistake of conflating the meaning. However, there’s something to be said about our experience with sin of being unable to see. Similarly, apart from Christ, we are aimless, directionless and without purpose (Romans 8:20) as we seek a truth and life we cannot see. For all intents and purposes, we are in the dark.
Psalm 119 has for us good news. God’s word is light for us in the darkness. Cutting through the thick darkness of this world, God’s Word shows us the way and guides us into truth. By it we differentiate truth from falsehood, good from evil and beauty from brokenness; by it we discern the way of uprightness as it leads us on the path of righteousness.
How, then, might we stay on this path of righteousness? Let the truths of God’s Word be hidden in our hearts. As Psalm 119:11 teaches us, the key to remaining steadfast in our pursuit of God is “store up” his Word in our hearts. Day by day, focus on the truth of God’s Word. Incline your mind to the Scriptures that your affections might be stirred for Christ alone, such that obedience would be the only response.
