Reading the Word

Psalm 119:105–112 (ESV)

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ¹⁰⁶ I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. ¹⁰⁷ I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word! ¹⁰⁸ Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your rules. ¹⁰⁹ I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. ¹¹⁰ The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. ¹¹¹ Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. ¹¹² I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.

Understanding and Applying the Word

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” These are the opening words of today’s reading. By these words, the psalmist tells us that it is God’s word that guides him safely in life. Without the light of God’s word, we are left to wander in darkness and drift away from the path.

As we live in this world, we are presented with a variety of ways to live. Just go to any bookstore and look at the self-help books, psychology books, and counseling publications. There are many who claim to have the secret to living a full and happy life. But it is God who tells us what is truly fulfilling. It is God, the Creator, who tells us the true way to live. And God does does this through his word. When we live in obedience to God, we find that God’s word is not a burden, but brings joy to our hearts (v. 111).

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