Tag: rejoicing

The Light of God’s word

Psalms 119:105   Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.  I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word!  Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your rules.  I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law.  The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.  Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.  I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.

Proverbs 6:23    For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

Ephesians 5:13    But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,

2 Peter 1:19     And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

Psalms 19:8     the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;

Psalms 43:3     Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me;

Psalms 18:28     For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness.

Job 29:3    when his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness,

We can know, as we walk the road of life, the word of God will make our steps clear.We would not know where to step without the guidance of God’s word. It is possible to walk the path of life not knowing where our steps fall.  We don’t know if our foot will step on good ground or dangerous ground; we are not self-aware. God’s word will be a lamp to our feet. Simply said, the Bible should help us walk the way God wants us to walk. Think of all the different words we use to describe how a person walks: stroll, saunter, amble, trudge, plod, dawdle, hike, tramp, tromp, slog, stomp, march, stride, sashay, glide, troop, patrol, wander, ramble, tread, prowl, promenade, roam, traipse, mosey, and perambulate. Just as different words show that there are many different ways to walk, God’s word has many different ways to light our paths.

How are we to walk? “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love” – “they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness” – “and to walk humbly with your God” – “walk in the light as He is in the light”.  None of these are possible without the light of God’s word lighting our way.

“Thus is our passage in a dark and perilous way irradiated by the lamp and light of the word. But except the lamp be lighted – except the teaching of the Spirit accompany the word, all is darkness – thick darkness. Let us not be content to read the word without obtaining some light from it in our understanding.” (Bridges)

“One of the most practical benefits of God’s word 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.” (Spurgeon)

The word of God is light and brings light; it doesn’t make things darker or harder to understand. It is a book of LIGHT.

Before the foundation of the world

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

John 8:48  The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.  Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”  The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’  Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?”  Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’  But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word.   Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”  Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Proverbs 8:22    “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.  Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.  When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.  Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth,  before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.  When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,  when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,  when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,  then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,

Micah 5:2      But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

Scripture is very clear in stating Jesus was with God from before the foundations of the world.  I don’t think much about this but probably should.  Some of the people were looking for the “Anointed One” to come.  And when He arrived in the flesh some believed He had come and others who should have been able to see did not.  Jesus looked at them and called them liars and told them they did not know God.  Today we see the same where some people see and others don’t.  Some believe and some don’t.  We are not blindly following a myth.   This is the Son of God who came to redeem the world and wishing none would perish but would come to everlasting life.  We have been given free will to believe or not.  We are give free choice to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey Him.  Our life this side of eternity is very short.   Make the most of it living for Him alone and finding heart, mind and soul desire serving Him and His purpose.