HAVE YOU TURNED THE LIGHT ON?

Psalm 119:97-112
Psalm 119 has been a favorite scripture passage of mine since I was 15 years old. It has been a banner for my Christian walk and a model for how I want to live. The portion I have starts with “O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” The law of course is His word. If we are not immersed in it, how do we know it? If we do not meditate on it, how can we acquire the wisdom mentioned in verse 98? How do we obtain the insight of verse 99 or the understanding in verse 100? How will He help us to restrain our feet from every evil way in order that we may keep His word? How can He teach us to keep His ordinances if we are not in His word? How can we say with the Psalmist that His word is sweet to our taste, yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! And how can we gain the understanding to hate every false way if we are not meditating on His word?
How can we say, ‘Thy word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path,’ if we never turn the light on? The remainder of this passage is the Psalmist’s promise to keep meditating on His word. He has sworn and he confirms that he will keep His righteous ordinances. He asks to be revived according to His word. He wants God to accept the freewill offerings of His mouth, and for the Lord to teach him His ordinances. The Psalmist states that his life is continually in his hand, yet he does not forget His law. The Psalmist declares that his enemies have laid a snare for him, but he has not gone astray from His precepts. The writer further testifies that he has inherited His testimonies forever, for they are the joy of his heart. The Psalmist has inclined his heart to perform God’s statutes forever, even to the end!
These are powerful words from a man who knows both God and His word intimately. It is both the Psalmist’s testimony and his way of life. He is constantly meditating on God’s word and immersing himself in it. He wants to understand all that God has said in His word. He wants to be constantly taught by God through His word. He wants to be so enlightened by His word that it is “A lamp to his feet, And a light to his Path!”
And God, through the Psalmist, is challenging us to have the same mindset. He wants us to learn about Him and His ordinances. He wants us to meditate on His word. He wants to teach us and help us to restrain ourselves from every evil way. He wants His word to be sweet to our taste, yes, sweeter than honey in our mouths. Please, accept this challenge and taste the sweetness He is offering!