DEVOTION
PSALMS
LIGHT FOR LIFE
Ps 119:129-136
129 Pe
Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. 130 The unfolding
of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. 131 I open my
mouth and pant, longing for your commands. 132 Turn to me and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name. 133 Direct my footsteps according
to your word; let no sin rule over me. 134 Redeem me from the oppression of
men, that I may obey your precepts. 135 Make your face shine upon your servant
and teach me your decrees. 136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law
is not obeyed.
NIV
Day seventeen in the longest psalm. It is said certain psalms are songs
of lament. We have seen a lot of lamenting in the whole of this psalm, but we
cannot be sure that applies to the whole of this psalm. He also spends some
time in praise for the statutes, precepts, and commands of the Lord, as well as
for the law. There are also many requests for the mercy, compassion, guidance
and teaching from the Lord. He makes many references to the light of the Lord
and his word giving understanding. This stanza is no different, as much of all
the above is within it. What draws our attention the most is how the unfolding
of the word gives light and understanding. We know David has the Torah, the Law
of Moses and must likely many of the words regarding the judges, for the time
of the kings and prophets may not have been lived out yet or recorded, although
we know Nathan lived at the time of David. They say the book of Job is the
oldest of all records, but did David have access to it is not known.
Nevertheless, he had much of the word of God. But we have the whole of the word
of God. We have the completed word of God written to give us light and
understanding when we unfold it. The opening, the entrance, the doorway of the word gives light and discernment or understanding to simple or open-minded, as
the Hebrew text reads. We know those who refuse to open the word are
closed-minded, although they accuse us of being closed-minded to their
philosophies of life. We have opened our mind to the word of God and it has
given us understanding, discernment regarding that which is true and that which
is false. The word gives us the light to our footsteps. We walk in accordance to
the word of God rather than the word of man. The word of God is truth, the word
of man is not. The heart of God it true, the heart of man is not. His word
gives us the light to see the sin in our life and so understand the work of
Jesus in taking that sin upon himself at the cross, redeeming us, setting us
free from sin and its penalty. Those who refuse to open their minds to the word
live in the darkness and cannot see their sin and thus will die and receive
their due punishment for sin, they will perish. We continue to look to the
light of God, Jesus and are always willing to have an open mind to his
commands, his direction, his provision for our life, so that we walk in his
way, we walk in faith, believing all he has said. Streams of tears of joy flow from
our face, for we have been given everything from the hand of God. First,
salvation and eternal life. But secondly, all that this life in Christ brings
to us each day. The joy of life, the joy of marriage, the joy of children and
grandchildren, the joy of work and the joy of the simple pleasures such as a
hobby, or even mowing the lawn or just sitting looking at the array of flowers,
bushes and trees he has given to us. Then there is just sitting or walking next
to our life’s partner, the joy of holding hands, or seeing the smile in their eyes.
This is how God intended our life to be, walking side by side with each other, along
with him. This path of life is one
filled with his love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness. How else could we
live, but to obey his word, for it is the light for our life?
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