Psalm 119: Focus On God's Word Pt. 31 Teach Us O God and Send Thy Light Into Our hearts.

 Psalm 119:9-11  BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10)  With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11)  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. 

The Psalmist asked the question about how a young man, or any other person, can cleanse his way. 

The answers revolve around the scriptures. We take heed to the Word of God. We seek God with all of our heart. We ask God for strength to not stray away from His Word. We Hide His Word in our hearts so that we do not sin against God.

God must teach us His statutes. 

Psalm 119:12  Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes. 

In the last couple posts we looked at God being blessed in Himself, as an essential part of His Divine nature. We also learned that God will freely share blessing with all who put their trust in Him. 

Let us finish this particular verse by seeing the specifics about God teaching us. 

God teaches us in two different ways. First, is an outward teaching we receive by reading His Word or by hearing men of God teach the Word. 

God will teach us if we pick up a copy of the scriptures and ask for His help to understand. 

God will also use men like Pastors, evangelists and teachers that He has called to this task. When they offer us accurate teaching of what God's Word says then we are taught of God and we receive God's Word delivered from error. 

Aquila and Priscilla heard a passionate and eloquent preacher named Apollos, when he preached at Ephesus. He only knew the baptism of repentance preached by John.

Therefore, they privately taught Apollos about the full life and ministry Jesus Christ. They also taught Apollos about Christ's ascension to heaven and the birth of the Church, along with the apostolic ministry (See Acts 18:24-28).

External ministry of God teaching us through His Word. 

1 Thessalonians 5:19,20  Quench not the Spirit. 20)  Despise not prophesyings. 

Here is an example of God teaching us outwardly by His Word. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in us to guide us into all truth, to elevate Jesus Christ so that we might see His glory and to teach us the things of God. 

Therefore, Paul commands that we not quench or extinguish His vital ministry with the Word in our hearts. 
"Quench not" and "Despise not" are clear commands to govern our attitude toward God and His holy Word. 

In like manner, Paul tells us not to despise prophecy because it was needed, until the New Testament was completed.  This also connects with the ministry of the Spirit of God with the Word of God in the heart of man. 

Jesus opened hearts to His Word. 

Luke 24:25-32  Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26)  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27)  And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28)  And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29)  But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30)  And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31)  And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32)  And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 

The resurrected Christ appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He expounded the scriptures to them to help them understand why Christ had to suffer and die. 

They did not know that it was Jesus until He broke bread with them and vanished. Then the disciples exclaimed that their hearts burned within them, while Jesus opened the scriptures for their understanding. 

This is God teaching us by His Word. See also where God opened the heart of Lydia to receive the gospel of Christ (Acts 16:14). 

The inward teaching of God revolves around the inspiration and work of the Holy Ghost, as I alluded to above. 

Light from God shines on His Truth. 

Psalm 36:9  For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. 

Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12). He came forth from the Father of lights (James 1:17-18). God is light and there is no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5-7). 

The Spirit of God seeks to illuminate our minds and hearts so that we might understand and see the light of God's Word. 

A man may rationally grasp truth but not see it spiritually. In order to comprehend scripture we must be in Christ, in the light of God so that we can comprehend what He says to us. 

Light from God leads us to righteousness. 

Psalm 43:3  O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

What joy we have when the Spirit of God brings light and truth from God together in our hearts. His illumination of Divine truth in us, leads us so that we can walk in the ways of God. 

Light from God is our great blessing. 

Psalm 89:15  Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.

Jehovah grants great joy as He helps us walk in the light of His countenance. We will worship and praise Him for this gracious act. 

When the Holy Ghost came down at Pentecost, He appeared as cloven tongues of fire upon the disciples of Christ. Fire is a symbol of light from God and a burning zeal for Christ. This is illuminating work that the Spirit of God does in us (Acts 2:3). 

God commands His light to shine in our hearts.

2 Corinthians 4:3-6  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4)  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5)  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6)  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

Satan works hard to blind people's hearts to the truth and light of the glorious gospel of Christ. God commanded this holy light to shine into the darkness so that believers might see the glory of Jesus Christ brightly and fully illuminated, that we might follow hard after Jesus. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

It is no wonder that the Psalmist has such passion for the inspired scriptures. 

Ephesians 5:8  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Light from the Spirit of God and light to see the Word of God are instilled in us by the Spirit's ministry to us. We have several imperatives regarding what this means to each believer.

First, we are to remember what God saved us from: darkness and depravity. 

Second, we are to walk, or live our lives as children of Light. God is Light and Christ is the Light of the world. Light and darkness do not mix so we are called to be separate unto the Lord.  

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

God called us out of the darkness of sin so that we can walk in His light. We must praise Him for doing such a wonderful thing for us. 

We must pray for the Lord to open up the scriptures to us. We should pray that He will supply careful and capable pastors, teachers and evangelists who can faithfully and accurately teach us truth from God. 

May we pray that God will help us walk in the light as He is in the light. 

May we rejoice that God called us into His light so that we are rescued from darkness and depravity. 

When we allow God to teach us His word by using godly ministers of the gospel, and to help us when we open the Bible and seek Him earnestly, He will share His blessedness with us.

May the mighty Spirit of God work in us so that we reflect the glory of Jesus Christ to those with whom we interact.

Bob