Psalm 119: Focus On God's Word Pt. 78 Living According to Knowledge for God's Glory.

Psalm 119:25,26  DALETH. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word. 26)  I have declared my ways, and thou heardest me: teach me thy statutes.

Light from God's Word Illuminates the Things of God for us.  

Psalm 119:27  Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works. 

In our last post, we began to explore the implications of what happens to a believer when we allow God's knowledge to move from our "heads" into our "hearts", so that our thoughts, words and deeds are transformed. 

God's knowledge will transform us and help us have discerning judgment and feelings guided by truth instead of reacting with emotion. It brings us comfort and power in the Word of God. 

How wonderful it is each morning to wake up and see golden sunlight washing over all the created things in our view. It reminds us that we have another day to live for the glory of God and that each morning is a new beginning.

If sunlight brings cheer into our hearts, how much more does the light of the gospel when we allow it to shine into our soul? It is praiseworthy when the Light of scripture takes away the clouds in our minds so that we might see the glories of God's Word clearly.

Walking in the light of God's countenance. 

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

Many blessings are in store for the redeemed children of God who walk in His light. They will hear the joyful sounds of God's people singing praises to His name. Hymns of rejoicing shall flow forth from their mouths. 

Transforming knowledge from the Bible will lead them to walking vigorously in His light. They are a people fully convinced of God's ability to save them, deliver them, sanctify them and ultimately, bring them home to Himself. This is the glory of having light from God shine on us, walking in the light of His countenance.

Turning from ourselves to behold His shining face.

Psalm 80:19  Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. 

The word "countenance" is not one we use every day, yet if we observe the faces of people when they hear good or bad news, we have observed their countenances. 

This text shows the Psalmist asking Jehovah to turn His people back to Him and away from their idolatry, so that they might once again rejoice because His face is toward them, His light falling on them. 

In the language of the Bible, the light of God's countenance is His smiles, favor and grace. If God is said to hide His face or countenance it is to manifest His displeasure, or withdraw his gracious help. So the rebuke of his countenance indicates His anger and frowns.

In ancient times it was a practice to turn away the face to express anger, displeasure and refusal. The opposite conduct would of course express favor. The grant of a petition is accompanied with a look directed to the petitioner; the refusal or denial, with an averted face.

We receive knowledge to live as children of light. 

Matthew 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Jesus taught much truth to His disciples. As He patiently helped them understand the scriptures, Jesus showed them how the truth will change their hearts. This is also true for believers today. 

Jesus did not teach them truth just so they could accumulate knowledge, but that they might be radically changed by it. Therefore, the goal of God's knowledge being poured into us is that we become the light of the world, as Jesus said. 

We live in a world where sin is flaunted and God's commandments are thrown aside. He is going to come soon and judge sinners for their actions. Until He returns, we are to let the gospel light in us shine out to others and we must trust God to save souls. 

2 Corinthians 4:3,4  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.

Jesus called believers to be the light of the world, in the sense that we live out the gospel truth and we are faithful witnesses of Christ, telling others about sin, hell, condemnation, the cross, Christ's blood and salvation.  

We must remember that the whole world is full of sinners. The gospel is hid to most people because they walk in darkness. They live in the domain dominated by the Devil. He blinds their minds to the truth because  he does not want any light from Christ's glorious gospel to shine into their hearts. 

Letting Jesus Christ teach us how to walk in Light. 

John 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

We must always be seated at the feet of our Savior Jesus Christ, in order to learn from Him. He is the Light of the world and He saved us so that we can walk in that light, rather than stumbling and falling in the world's darkness. 

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation. It changes people's lives forever (Romans 1:16). It is the light of the glorious gospel of Christ that we must shine into a sin darkened world. 

We are regenerated children of light. 

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

Paul also reminded us that when we are born again into the family of God, we are not to live a self centered, self conceited, self absorbed life. Rather, we are to walk as children of light. We have been saved from the Devil's domain and therefore, should be truly motivated to walk as children of light.

God is light and only by walking in the light can we fellowship with Him.  

1 John 1:5-7  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6)  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7)  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 

The apostle John also emphasized our need to walk as children of light. There is no darkness in our God for He is a God of Light and glory. 

Notice how the apostle words this text. If we say we have fellowship with God through the new birth, but we still walk in darkness, we are liars. Such a person has made a false profession of faith because they do not hear and heed the Word, they only heard it but continued to walk in darkness. 

However, notice the great blessing for believers in Christ. If we hear and heed the Word and walk in the light because God is a God of light, then when we do sin, the powerful blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us when we confess and forsake our sin. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

We have laid a foundation about why God will teach us His ways and impart illumination into our hearts so that we might receive knowledge from His Word. 

He does this so that we live with our lights shining brightly into the world. So that we walk in the light as He is in the light. So that we live as children of light. 

Paul reminds us that we must tell others about Jesus Christ. We must preach the gospel to them. 

Though we face a mighty enemy, God is greater than the Devil (1 John 4:4). 

He is still commanding the glorious light of the gospel of Christ to shine in the darkness, so that people can see the Savior, Jesus Christ. 

He shines His light into each one of us so that the knowledge we receive, will impact us to be used to advance His kingdom of light. 

May we earnestly and consistently seek this knowledge from God so that we can be His usable servants. May we live faithfully by the truth of the gospel. May we faithfully tells others about Jesus Christ. 

I pray that the Spirit of God will give us mighty help as we wait, watch and work for Jesus, until He comes to take us home to Himself.

Bob

2 Corinthians 4:5,6  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.