Num – Psalm 119:105-112
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
It is clear that the psalmist wasn’t sure where to step as he walked the road of life. Unsure whether the ground he was about to step on was solid. He did not know where to step without the Word of God. This word picture is significant because he sees life as a dark and dangerous way that can only be illuminated by God’s Word.
The word of God not only showed him where his feet stepped but also the path he should remain upon. It showed him the way for the next few steps. We need the Bible to teach us right from wrong. We certainly do have some inner sense of this in our conscience; but our conscience can be weak, ignorant, or damaged. The word of God is higher even than our conscience, and it teaches and trains our conscience. These pictures of God’s Word show us that the Word is light and brings light to our life.
106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.
Psalm 119:106–108 (ESV)
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.
The Psalmist showed a determination of life to obey the word of God. It was a double-decision, both sworn and confirmed. His determination to obedience came from a season of affliction, not comfort and ease. Despite his many problems and pains, he looked to God’s word for a reviving of life and for it to happen according to God’s Word.
109 I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law.
Psalm 119:109–110 (ESV)
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.
The Psalmist’s life was often in danger, yet his connection to the word of God stayed strong. Whenever we find the psalmist talking about danger, we usually think of physical danger. But the psalms also speak of spiritual dangers from our enemy and our flesh like giving into sin or forgetting God.
111 Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
Psalm 119:111–112 (ESV)
112 I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.
What is the psalmist’s spiritual heritage, that is, what is he looking toward and working for? Some heavenly reward? A word of praise from God? Surprisingly, he says that his heritage is what he has been speaking about all along – God’s Word.
The psalmist would never forsake God’s word; never stop reading, learning, meditating, and especially obeying it because he believes that every step in life is full of peril. That is why he cried out for God’s light to illumine his steps and the path. And with God’s Light, The Word, he can hope to endure “forever, to the end.” Because the light God’s Word brings to his next steps will illuminate his way to the end – This is The Way.
Questions to Ponder
- Has God’s Word illuminated your way? How?
- If you depended on God’s Word like the psalmist, what might be different in your life going forward?
- If you’ve gotten off the path, how might you find your way back?
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