Turn on the Light

It’s Monday and it’s time to start the week out with God. At church, we have been encouraged to fast something for 3 weeks in order to beseech God. Some are fasting food of some sort. I’m fasting sleep. I’m getting up earlier, walking and praying outside, and coming in and spending some great time in the Bible before the activities of the day.

As I read Ps. 119, I’m ever mindful that David wrote the Psalm. And I know his life. This Psalm gives such insight into it. What made him such an admirable person (most of the time)? It was his hunger and passion for God and His word. He needed God every day. So do I. Here we go…

Psa 119:129 Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.	God’s testimonies are the Bible stories I love that tell me how God works in people’s lives. Those stories and what I learn from them are indeed wonderful. David thought so too, because he made it a point to learn from them and keep the lessons he learned. Maybe the biggest lesson for me is that God is merciful. He doesn’t wipe us off the planet when we mess up. (Ex. 34:6-7) And so, can I, in turn, be merciful to other people?
(130)  The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.	Here is a plug for daily Bible reading. Who doesn’t need light and understanding every single day? The word entrance means opening. I can get light just from sitting down and opening the Bible and reading. It gives me discernment. Is there any situation that I couldn’t use some God-given discernment? Even this verse gives me discernment that God gives discernment if I open his word and read.
(131)  I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.	In Ps. 119:131, David gasped for God’s word, and not just God’s promises, but God’s commandments. “Lord, what do you want me to do? Show me. I want to do your will.” That’s what David was like. That’s a wonderful testimony that I want to keep (see vs. 129 above).  And when he had removed him [ Saul ], he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. (Acts 13:22)  David really did follow after God’s commandments in order to do them.
(132)  Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.	Here’s a piece of insight into David’s heart and mind. Like me, God’s mercy stood out to him when he looked at God’s testimonies as seen in the stories of how God dealt with people in the Old Testament. He applied that characteristic of God to his prayers for himself. “Lord, you were merciful to the Israelites as they wandered around in the wilderness. Please be merciful to me!”