Lamp To My Feet...Light For My Path

Sometimes when getting in time with the Lord in singing songs, prayer, and getting into His Word, things can get dry for me. Sometimes it is just difficult to WANT to do those things, to DESIRE to have them be apart of my every day routine. I think the majority of this happens when I am dealing with the Word.

Something I vow to do with my life is be real with people...so, here it is...sometimes I get bored with the Word of God....there I said it! Let the silent judgments come forth. But, seriously, sometimes I just can't "get into it" and it seems like I am wasting my time when I am not doing it wholeheartedly. So I put it down and don't look back...that is until some sin from my past comes creeping back to the forefront because it sees my defenses are down and I am vulnerable. It always seems that when I do slip into those past habitual sins it is largely because I was not getting in the Word.

Lately I have been praying through the 22 stanzas of Psalm 119, and it has been AMAZING! Psalm 119 is all about God's Word and how important it is in our daily lives. By praying the contents I feel as if I am expressing true heartfelt admiration to God, who has so lovingly bestowed this great gift on us. Its his very words to us! How stinkin' awesome is that?! From praying through this chapter God is developing a fervent yearning for my personal life to reflect the loveliness and goodness displayed in this book. I now not only want it to, but I NEED it to shape my character into that of God's character. To rely on him and his Word for my life to reflect His forgiveness, His grace, His love; making me into a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I am seeing things in here that I have read over a hundred times before, but are now becoming more and more clear to me in different ways. Example... 1 Corinthians 13, everyone knows this one or has seen part of it written on some Midwestern household wall decoration ("Faith, Hope, Love"; "Love Never Fails", etc). Since I have been praying through Psalm 119, 1 Corinthians 13 has taken brand new meaning and power in my walk with the Lord! Not only reading how magnificent and wondrous his redeeming love is, but actually feeling it more and more throughout my day!

Another...even just the title of this entry, "Lamp To My Feet...Light For My Path", this is what God's Word has become for me this past summer. I have been turning to it for every decision, praying that God would reveal something, anything to me in it! And He has proved Himself faithful yet again, showing me the desires of His own heart for my life. It has become my lamp to light my way through this life and my shield against the flaming arrows the evil one slings my way.

This psalm reflects the view that the Lord, who abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness and who therefore freely and fully forgives his people when they confess their sins, loves his people without limit, and therefore also guides the faithful in the way of life that is genuinely good and beautiful. It speaks the language of one ravished with moral beauty, to which there is only one fitting response...to try and reproduce this beauty, as much as possible, in one's daily life. There is no pretense of perfection here, only yearning, and trust, and dependence on God. He is the one who does the changing in our lives, not us. We only need to submit to him and his Word.

I pray that we can all see how vital these words are in our lives. This is not just a book, people! This is the LIVING, ACTIVE, WORD OF GOD!!! It convicts us, rebukes us, shows us of God's love, mercy, and grace for us! It is the gospel, the GOOD NEWS! Praise the Lord that he has granted us such an amazing gift! He has given us everlasting life through these words...praise be to His name, forever. Amen.