Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

 

Psalm 119: 25-32

 

October 13, 2022

 

Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet

Daleth

My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!   When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes!  Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works.  My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!  Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law!  I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.  I cling to your testimonies, O Lord; let me not be put to shame!  I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart! 

 

What a great  image of a man without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; “My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!”  When I came into Christ and He into me, I knew He had all I needed and I was bankrupt.  As I grew I shared my wants and needs with Jesus, and these verses sound a lot like what happened over time.

“When I told of my ways, you answered me; teach me your statutes!
Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works.” 

 

Life is about making choices, each day we choose many times what we will see, hear, and do.  In Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever^[ you want.“  Bill Gillham, heard a speaker say; “Your problem is that you don’t know what your problem is.  You think your problem is your problem, but it’s not.  And that’s your main problem.”  Bill shared the two ways for Christians to walk in this world: According to the flesh, and in the Spirit.  Each day we look to God's plan for us or we follow the desires of the world and go with the flesh.  So that choice depends on your abilities to meet your needs apart from Christ or allowing Jesus to live His life through you.

 

We find the Psalmist making a choice in these words; “Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law!  I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.”  

 

We see a man who has made a choice to walk with God, but that does not mean it is not still a battle, each day.  In verse 32, he is asking God to enlarge his heart.  “I will run in the way of your commandments when you  enlarge my heart!”  Each of us needs our hearts enlarged to the guideline of our Creator and Lord, have you ask, with the desire to do as He said in the Bible.  One must never forget that Christ's life is not difficult it is impossible.  Only Jesus Christ has ever lived that life, and He is the only one who can live it today, and that is what He wants to do in you.  John 15:5 makes that clear, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  

As one who is a follower of Christ, have you tried to live the Christ life, without the Spirit's leadership, sure you have and so have I, it is not pretty.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice