Where Could I Go?

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105, ESV)

The word is a light unto my path, "the unfolding of your words gives light, it imparts understanding to the simple." (Psalm 119:130) The unfolding (opening) of your words gives light (causes to shine) giving understanding (discernment) to the simple (open minded).* Possibly, Jesus was referring to his word being received with an open mind, simply, when he said one must change and become like a child to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:2-4). Truly, the unfolding of his word gives light to the simple, to direct their paths.

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart, I seek you, let me not wander... I have treasured your words in my heart..." (Psalm 119:9-11)

How can one stay on the narrow path? By guarding the way according to His word. How can he keep or guard his way? one must seek Him with the whole heart. And how can one seek him with the whole heart? treasure His words in your heart. "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field" (Matthew 13:44). The man found a treasure that was hidden, not by accident but because he was seeking it. "Again, the kingdom of God is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, when he found one he went away and sold all he had to purchase it" (Mathew 13:45-46). The merchant in search for a fine pearl, something of great value, likewise, those who find the kingdom of heaven, are seeking something considered of great value.

"Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart." (Psalm 119:1-2)

Those who seek God will find him, it is a promise if we seek Him with the whole heart (Deuteronomy 4:29; Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13). If we ask, it will be given, if we seek we will find, if we knock the door will be opened ( Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9). Why did God make man dwell upon the earth? "that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "‘In him, we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,“‘For we are indeed his offspring'" (Acts 17:24-28). In Christ, we are his poem, his workmanship created in Christ Jesus... (Ephesians 2:10).

"In the way of your testimonies, I delight as much as in all riches." (Psalm 119:14-15)

We are seeing a pattern, when we seek his word with all our hearts and find it as treasure then we find delight in following his ways. And we see the psalmists' dependence upon God for this, "open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your word" (Psalm 119:18). The psalmist says life is in God's word, but we also see his struggle, "my soul clings to dust, give me life according to your word... Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wondrous works. My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!" (Psalm 119:25). "I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart" (Psalm 119:32).

"Teach me...

Give me understanding...
Lead me...
Incline my heart...
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways." (Psalm 119:33-37)

The psalmist is asking for God to open his eyes and heart, he wants to treasure more of God's word more than anything this world has to offer. I want to know more of your love, "Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise" (Psalm 119:41). So we see the answer to how we seek God with the whole heart and possibly the answer to loving God with the whole heart; the word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path, surely the word keeps my heart on the right path. When I do not know the path, where shall I go? but to the word.

When affliction comes where shall I go? But to the word, to God's promises. "This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life" (Psalm 119:50). "I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise" (Psalm 119:58). "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word... It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes." (Psalm 119:67, 71). This is how we can rejoice in suffering, God's glory is being revealed through his word transforming us. "My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word... How long must your servant endure?... If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction." (Psalm 119:81, 84, 92)

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path... I am severely afflicted;
give me life, O Lord, according to your word!.. You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word" (Psalm 119:105, 107, 114).

"The sum of your word is truth" (Psalm 119:160). "Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word!" (Psalm 119:169). God gives understanding and enlightenment into truth, the Holy Spirit is of truth, our part is to seek Him with our whole heart, and we do that through the Word. The word prepares the soil to be good, keeps the heart on the right path, it renews the mind, transforming us into the image, the fullness of Christ. And when you come to fullness in Christ, the water "will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" and as we feed on the bread He is, the living bread, the word of life, will produce the fruit of life in this mortal body.

In Christ we are beloved, he is the Word of God, the word of life whose words are eternal life. "Where shall we go but to the Lord?" Peter realized this, where shall we go, your words are eternal life (John 6:68). "Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation" (Psalm 25:5). "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name..." (Psalm 79:9). Oh, for us to understand what the psalmist is saying, "send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.." (Psalm 43:3). Where can I go but to the Lord? "In him, we live and move and have our being."

The Crucible

" The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies ." 1 He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. The definition of zeal is great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective. It is this time, to arouse zeal, shout, raise a war cry! As Paul writes, " In diligence not lagging in spirit being fervent serving the Lord ." 2 Our energy comes in the bond of brotherhood, formed in the crucible of combat. A crucible is place of severe test or trial, it is derived from Latin crucibulum ("night-lamp, metallurgic melting-pot"), and is a derivative of crux ("cross"). 3 The Bible speaks of the crucible of the cross for Jesus and for those who follow Him. The purpose of a soldier is two-fold; to accomplish the mission and to care for one another, as commanded. Each soldier has a role to play on a team. Without knowin...

One Grace

" moreover, One, to each of us has been given Grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ ." 1 Grace is a founding principle of Christianity. It is by Grace we grow into the fullness of Christ through faith; " to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. " 2 Without Grace we will never reach this fullness. The weakness in the Law was it attempted to do it in the flesh, and people failed over and over, so God in His infinite wisdom, unveiled this mystery, through faith in Christ we have grace to boldly approach His throne of Grace, to receive grace and mercy as needed! This gift of Grace is properly understood by examining this verse in three parts; moreover, One Grace, to each of us has been given, according to the measure of the gift of Christ . First, we understand, One grace, it is easy to miss the One, and this verse is translated in different ways, I believe it says One Grace and i...

Truth All Around You

Stand then girding your loins in truth and putting on the breastplate of righteousness. * How can a soldier stand in battle if he has not been prepared, trained? How can a house stand if it has been built on sand? How can we stand against spiritual forces if we have not been prepared? Our battle is not against flesh and blood so in regards to such, what good is armor to a child or how can one stained with dirty clothes stand with a defiled conscious? To stand one must be prepared, be his workmanship, someone prepared beforehand to do battle. For this purpose you begin girding your loins in truth, putting on truth, wrapping truth all around you. ... girding your loins in truth... * The word girding is perizōnnymi (from peri "about, around" and zōnnymi "put on") meaning around about put on. Often gird your loins with truth is translated as putting on a belt. Surely we can say truth holds on the garments and confidence in truth is important in standing. I like th...

Those He Calls He Equips

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen . Hebrews 13:20-21 When God calls us he equips us, the God of Peace, the one who brought us from the dead by the blood of the Eternal Covenant, will equip you so to do his will. So in this concept of being equipped, we see the calling being irrevocable. "For it is God who works in you to Will and to act on behalf of his good pleasure." Philippians 2:13 God called you, he's working in you equipping you to work on behalf of his good pleasure. "So that the man of God may be complete fully equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:17 . In Hebrews 12 we read God disciplines those he loves, so that we share in his holy character, as the scriptures...

Word Of Life

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. " 1 Jesus is the Word, He was in the beginning with God. 2 All things were made through Him. He is the Word and Light of men, the way, the path, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." 4 Thus we can say as the Psalmist, Jesus, the Word, is a Lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path. 5 "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." 6 Concerning the Word of Life, " the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life ," Proclaimed, that our joy may be complete, a glory like that in the beginning, fellowship with the Father, with one another, and with his Son Jesus Christ, the Word of Life. "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot...

Hypocrisy and Self-righteousness

“ Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you ” Matthew 7:1–2 In Mathew 7 Jesus is speaking out against hypocrisy, he coins the term, it is exposed as a very serious sin. Because of their hypocrisy these religious leaders were leading his people astray. Today it is the same, it is a top reason why people do not attend a church. Of course we blame the sinner and hear cute little sayings like, come join us you will fit right in... which makes light of the situation. On a more serious note, Jesus gives seven woes to the Pharisees, he even warns them of hell fire and damnation, for their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Hypocrisy is basically pretending to be something you are not, it is not to be confused with our imperfection. Our righteousness is found in Christ alone, not in self. Hypocrisy and self righteousness is usually seen by others when we in our own righteousn...

Formed Into The Same Image

because those he foreknew also he predestined, to form to the image of His Son, to the extent He exists the firstborn of many brethren . * The word for form in this verse is σύμμορφος ( symmorphos ) from sym "same, with, or together" and morphos "form or shape." We are being formed, shaped into the same image as Christ. This word has the same root word morphos as in transformed, μεταμορφόω ( metamorphos ) from meta "among, with, after" and morphos "form or shape." Into the same form as Christ we are predestined. Adam was a living soul, but Christ was a life giving Spirit. Adam was formed in the image of God but that image was corrupted. In Christ we are formed a new, so that image is being restored. To be a Christian is more than just doing good works, more than just going to heaven, we are called to be formed into an image after Christ, Christ like. who will transfigure our lowly bodies into the same form as his glorious body, according t...

Feed On Me

"Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me." 1 This "living" Jesus speaks of is eternal or everlasting Life but what does this mean? Is this life an after life in heaven as traditionally taught or something we begin to experience here on earth? We read that Life is in knowing, a personal experience, " this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent ." 2 We receive the Spirit of life when we first believed, but the true disciple of Christ is known by abiding, these have learned that Life is in eating the bread of Life and drinking living water. Life is in Christ, all else has become as rubbish but to know Christ, and the Life he gives, "so also the one who feeds on Me will live." "So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples. and you will know the truth, ...

Kiss the Son

Why do the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel, together against Yahweh and against his anointed. Break apart their bands and cast away their cords. He who sits in the heavens laughs, Yahweh scoffs. Then shall he speak unto them with anger, fury, and dismay. I established my King upon Zion, My Holy Hill. I will declare the decree of Yahweh who said, you are my son, you I have this day begotten. Ask concerning, I will establish nations your inheritance Your possession the uttermost parts of the earth. You shall afflict them with a staff of iron on a potter's vessel dashed to pieces. Now, O, kings be wise, be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and you perish from the way, because brutish is his wrath. Blessed are all who put their trust in Him. 1

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