Monthly Archives April 2015

Vs. 105 — Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

Charles H. Spurgeon:

We are walkers through the city of this world, and we are often called to go out into its darkness; let us never venture there without the light-giving word, lest we slip with our feet. Each man should use the word of God personally, practically, and habitually, that he may see his way and see what lies in it. When darkness settles down upon all around me, the word of the Lord, like a flaming torch, reveals my way. Having no fixed lamps in eastern towns, in old time each passenger carried a lantern with him that he might not fall into the open sewer, or stumble over the heaps of ordure which defiled the road. This is a true picture of our path through this dark world: we should not know the way, or how to walk in it, if the Scripture, like a blazing flambeau, did not reveal it. One of the most practical benefits of Holy Writ is guidance in the acts of daily life; it is not sent to astound us with its brilliance, but to guide us by its instruction. It is true the head needs illumination, but even more the feet need direction, else head and feet may both fall into a ditch. Happy is the man who personally appropriates God’s word, and practically uses it as his comfort and counsellor,—a lamp to his own feet. (Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). The treasury of David: Psalms 111-119 (Vol. 5, p. 342). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

Prayer:

O’ God, my God, Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. By Thy Spirit, keep my heart’s eyes open and discerning Your path. Give me understanding in Your precepts, wisdom, and commandments that I may clearly see the path of righteousness, truth, and eternal life in Christ Jesus. You have put me on the path to the celestial city, and there I am bound.

Vs. 104 — Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.

Thomas Manton:

In this sentence the prophet seems to invert the order set down in verse 101. He had said, “I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word,” where the avoiding of evil is made the means of profiting by the word; here his profiting by the word is made the cause of avoiding evil. In the one verse you have an account of his beginning with God; in the other, of his progress. (Manton, Thomas. The Complete Works of Thomas Manton. Vol. 7. London: James Nisbet & Co., 1872.)

Prayer:

Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word enlightens me to the reality of sin, its dark evil, its destructive nature, and its end. Its hatred for truth, righteousness, and good. I also learn of its deceptive ways that work to infiltrate and stir up ungodliness within me around me. I have learned how it enslaves while it promises freedom; how it oppresses while promising no consequences; and that it grieves You and why it grieves You.  Therefore, I hate sin. Strengthen me against temptations and every false way that confronts me so that I may live in the liberty for which my Savior obtained for me. To Jesus be the glory, Amen!

Vs. 103 — How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Prayer:

O’ Lord God, Your Word

is a guiding word; a comforting word; a strengthening word; a hopeful word; a promising word; a loving word; a living word.

Your Word shows us

Your face; Your character; Your nature; Your person; Your personality; Your attributes; Your glory; Your power.

Your Word reveals

Your mercy to us; Your lovingkindness to us; Your abundant grace to us; Your care for us; Your plans for us; Your will for us.

Your Word does all of that and more.

Your Word teaches us

truth; wisdom; understanding; schemes of the enemy; ways of harm from the world; ways of harm from myself; right from wrong; how to please You; love others; and take care of our loved ones and ourselves.

Your Word

gives us discernment; light to our path; and encouragement; It builds us up and helps us to overcome, even before the table of our enemies.

Your Word does all of that and more.

His Word

Humbles us; reveals the true us; reads us; strips us of hypocrisy, pride, self-righteousness, ego, works-righteousness, and lays us naked—heart completely exposed. It breaks us and builds us; and reminds us that we live in dependence of the Gospel.

His Word Reveals

our need and our Savior; reveals our desperate condition; our desperation; our ruin and our rescuer; Reveals our dependence in our Creator, Maker, Keeper, & Source of Life; Reveals our Father, Our Redeemer, Our Sanctifying Spirit.

Your Word … is all of that and yet there is more. It does even much more.

Indeed, how sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!  Blessed be the Lord God Almighty! Amen!

Vs. 102 – I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me.

John Calvin:

A peculiar manner of teaching is, therefore, here pointed out—that which consists in God’s drawing his chosen people to himself. I have been brought, as if the Psalmist had said, into the way of salvation, and preserved in it by the secret influence of the Holy Spirit. (Calvin, J., & Anderson, J. (2010). Commentary on the Book of Psalms (Vol. 4, p. 477). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

Prayer:

You, my Father God, have taught me through the secret influence of Your Spirit. He has captured my heart and revealed the Savior. He has, and continues to reveal the desperate condition of my soul, but does so that I might continue to see the greatness of the Gospel–the greatness of Christ and His redeeming work. Thy Spirit enlightens all the saints to the truth, giving us a taste of heaven when we meet our Savior–Jesus Christ. Your Spirit also keeps us in Christ though we are prone to stray. He reminds us of Your wonderful judgments and ways, always pointing us back to the One who loves us and delivered Himself up for us. The Spirit of Life will lead us into eternity where I will see the face and manifested glory of our conquering King. Power, Praise, Glory, and Honor to our King. He has saved us! He Saves! He Saves Completely! Thank You, my God. Rejoice, Rejoice!

Vs. 101 — I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.

Thomas Manton:

“I have refrained my feet,” etc. 1. We have David’s practice: “I have refrained my feet from every evil way.” 2. His end or motive: “That I might keep thy word;” that he might be exact and punctual with God in a course of obedience.

First, In his practice. You may note the seriousness of it: “I have refrained my feet.” By the feet are meant the affections: “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God,” Eccl. 5:1. Our affections which are the rigorous bent of the soul, do engage us to practice; therefore fitly resembled by the feet, by which we walk to any place that we do desire: so that, “I have refrained my feet,” the meaning is, I keep a close and strict hand over my affections, that they might not lead me to sin. Then you may note the extent of it; he doth not only say, I refrained from evil, but universally, “from every evil way.” But how could David say this is truth of heart, if conscious of his offence in the matter of Uriah? Answer: This was the usual frame and temper of his soul, and the course of his life; and such kind of assertions concerning the saints are to be interpreted.. This was his errand and drift, his purpose and endeavour, his usual course, though he had his failings.

Secondly, What was his end and motive in this? “That I might keep thy word”; that I might be exact and punctual with God in a course of obedience, and adhere to his word universally, impartially.  (Manton, Thomas. The Complete Works of Thomas Manton. Vol. 7. London: James Nisbet & Co., 1872.)

Prayer:

Father, I wish that I could say that I have restrained my heart from evil, but I find my thoughts often wandering to self-righteousness, judging others, and numerous other vile sinfulness. I’m not going to pretend to be without sin, as I John tells me: I’d be deceiving myself and the truth would not be in me. I’m not afraid to admit my failures because I know that they are paid for by my Savior. There is no condemnation from You, none. In liberty this child of Yours will seek Your word to know it and keep it. I purpose my life in Your ways, according to Your word, and by the strength provided by grace.