NEPHRITE
NURTURE
PSALM
119:105-112
נ
(Nun)
Psalm
119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Susie: A
torch or a lamp was used to literally light up a path at night as we would use
a flashlight or a lantern. Metaphorically, the psalmist is saying that the word
of God serves as a guide to keep him on the path of righteousness. The Holy
Spirit applies the word of God in our lives to nurture us toward becoming more
like Jesus. This is a great verse to commit to memory, and Amy Grant recorded a
song that will help you to do so:
Psalm
119:106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous
judgments.
Susan: The
psalmist had made a pledge, a promise, a vow to honor and obey God’s word.
Susie: To
swear or make a vow to the Lord was a sacred event, and there were dire
consequences for those who did not fulfill their vows.
Numbers
30:2 If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a
bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth
out of his mouth.
Revelation
16:7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true
and righteous are thy judgments.
Susan: His
motivation for obedience was the knowledge that God’s judgments were always
authentically true.
Susie: He had
confidence that God’s law, God’s instructions to mankind, were in the best
interest of those who followed God.
Psalm
119:107 I am afflicted very much: quicken
me, O Lord, according unto thy word.
Susan: Quicken
in modern usage is to speed up. However, the word had a different meaning when
the King James Version of the Bible was translated:
American
Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828.
QUICKEN,
verb transitive quik'n.
1.
Primarily, to make alive; to vivify; to revive or resuscitate, as from death or
an inanimate state. Romans 4:17.
Hence
flocks and herds, and men and beasts and fowls, with breath are quicken'd and
attract their souls.
2. To
make alive in a spiritual sense; to communicate a principle of grace to.
You
hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1.
Romans
4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him
whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things
which be not as though they were.
Romans
4:17 (VOICE) As it is recorded in the Scriptures, “I have appointed you the
father of many nations.” In the presence of the God who creates out of nothing
and holds the power to bring to life what is dead, Abraham believed and so
became our father.
Susan: The
affliction could be bodily, emotionally, or spiritually or any combination of
the three.
Susie: If you
read through this entire psalm, you will find the human author experienced all
of these types of affliction at one time or another.
Susan: Since
he suffered some type of affliction, the psalmist needed to be revived,
enlivened, revitalized by the Lord.
Susie: We
know that God is the giver of life, and His word promises eternal life to those
who trust in the Lord Jesus:
Genesis
2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
John
10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
Psalm
119:108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and
teach me thy judgments.
Susie: A
“freewill offering” was exactly what it sounds like. It was something offered
over and above what was required by the law because a person chose of their own
free will to do so.
Exodus
35:29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every
man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work,
which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
Susan: Freewill
offerings were given because people chose to give. They were not tithes or
sacrifices for sin.
Susie: The
praises we utter in word or song are a freewill offering to the Lord.
Susan: How
much more would we believers use our mouths as instruments of praise and
exaltation to God if we viewed our praises as an offering in the service of our
Lord and Savior? The psalmist entreats the Lord for instruction in His ways.
Susie: His
desire is that his actions match up to his praise offering, that the Lord would
reveal to him how to live righteously.
Susan: He
desires that his actions and the motivation behind them are in sync with the
Lord’s will and way.
Psalm
119:109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.
Susie: Even
though his life is threatened by enemies and he is in danger all the time, the
psalmist does not let it distract him from God’s word. He continues to live
according to all the Lord has shown him rather than let his detractors lead him
astray.
Psalm
119:110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
Susan: His
opponents tried to trap him literally and figuratively, but it was as if the
psalmist had blinders on to block out the enemies and stay focused only on the
Lord. The evil ones set up an obstacle course to trip up the psalmist, one they
believed he would not be able to overcome.
Susie: However,
by remaining laser-focused on the Lord, he was guided through their mine-field
by the power of God’s word and the Holy Spirit’s direction.
Susan: His
enemies could not decipher or defeat the battle plan he was given by the Lord.
Psalm
119:111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage forever: for they are the
rejoicing of my heart.
Susan: The
treasure passed on to the psalmist was the word of God. It is more valuable
than any family heirloom. The way to true contentment and joy is to do whatever
we do wholeheartedly for the Lord.
Colossians
3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men
Susie: Knowing
the word of God, seeing His promises fulfilled, enables us to rejoice always,
even during times of trial and affliction. Paul wrote the following verse from prison:
Philippians
4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Susan: Some
might call my earth-suit (my body) a prison. Although I may seem trapped in a
body that does not work like most people’s bodies, the Lord frees me from it by
the power of His Holy Spirit. He empowers my mind and spirit as His instruments
to share the Good News of Jesus.
Psalm
119:112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the
end.
Susan: The
psalmist has made a conscious choice to serve the Lord whatever comes, no matter
the circumstances, until his final breath leaves his body and he meets the Lord
face to face in glory.
Points
to Ponder:
· God’s
word shines a light on how to live for Him
· Be
determined to abide by God’s word
· God
uses His word to revive us
· Our
praises are an offering to God
· Stand
firm in the word of God in the middle of affliction or trial
· Rejoice
in the word of God
· Remain
true to the word until God takes you home
Reflection
Question: Is the word of God, the Holy Scripture, your light, your
life, and your joy? The more you study it, the more it will become those three
things. As you meditate on it, God’s word will become more and more precious to
you. Determine to spend a few more minutes each day reading, studying, and even
memorizing God’s word. You will be blessed as He nurtures you to be more and
more like His Son.
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