Psalms 119:105&106 “105 - Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. 106 - I have sworn, and will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgements.”
Living in the world as a Christian is a perpetual mission to shine the light of God into the darkness. Christians must ever be vigilant to not only cast a light into the distance but also to be ever watchful for the snares of Satan in our path.
In our verses, the Psalmist has already discovered that the Word of God is more than capable of illuminating all the pitfalls and dangers that lie in our path. Although many people like to quote verse 105, seldom is verse 106 ever quoted along with it.
The Word of God is the only means of illuminating our path if we wish to fight a good fight and finish our course. But in order to do so, we must “perform (the Word of God)” and “Keep (God’s) righteous judgements” in order to actually gain the benefit of the Word’s illumination. Simply reading the Bible and/or committing verses to memory will not illuminate our path. Without performing and keeping the Word all we have is a “Flashlight with Dead Batteries.”
To ensure that we gain all the benefits offered to us by the Word we must allow it to change us into the servant that God wishes us to be. We can accomplish this through 3 methods of reading the Word:
1). Daily Devotion - God knows what tomorrow holds, and if we seek direction in His Word, He has promised to answer (“... ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find...”). Our daily devotional should not be so thoroughly planned that we exclude God. Allow the Lord to direct your devotions and he will supply you with the guidance that you need. Once we receive what He has shown us, then we must perform that knowledge by allowing it to impact the way we live the rest of the day.
2). Memorization - It is a simple fact that we are not always within arm’s reach of our Bibles. Even if you carry your Bible every moment of the day (or have a handy App from the Church which puts the Bible in your pocket), life doesn’t always afford us the chance to sit down and seek out an answer from God in the heat of the moment. Memorized scripture is part of the bedrock of our daily walk with the Lord. We ought to commit verses to memory that the Lord has illuminated to encourage us, admonish is, equip us, and anchor our steps. These verse may be entirely different or remarkably similar to any other Christian, in truth it doesn’t matter how popular the scripture we memorize is. What matters is that You memorize the verses that God has used to make a lasting impact on your life. Then, no matter what befalls you in life, you can always have immediate access to the verses that God has used to sculpt you into a vessel of honor.
3). In Depth Study - Devotions are meant to guide us through the steps of the day and memorization is the emergency flashlight that can can turn on when we face temptation, adversity or discouragement. Yet, sometimes we will face situations where we have no idea how to proceed or we have been presented with a life altering decision. In depth study through the pages of God’s Word will always show the right course. Maybe you’ve never heard this situation preached on before, maybe you’re a young Christian and haven’t had the chance to learn a certain doctrine yet, or perhaps you’re like me and although you think you know the answer you are unable to pinpoint WHY it’s the right decision. Study is how we grow, without growth we can’t recharge the batteries, and dead batteries mean no light in the darkness. I know I speak for the Pastor, Bro. Josh, Bro. Lawrence and myself when I say, don’t hesitate to ask if you need help in your personal study. Asking questions is how you learn, and there’s nothing wrong with asking someone with more experience for assistance. It’s how we fulfill the law of Christ and how discipleship is perpetuated. Trust me, I’ve asked more than my fair share of questions.
So in closing, (I know that today’s devotion was lengthy, but I wanted to be sure the point came across), remember that the Word only lights our path and is a lamp unto our feet if we do what the Word instructs and keep the judgements of the Lord in our walk with Him. The Word cannot help someone who does not apply it their life, just like a flashlight doesn’t help any one if the batteries haven’t been charged.
Your fellowservant in Christ,
Bro. Jordan Foster
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