Articles
The Lord is My Light
What does it take to develop an appetite for a particular food? When I was young, I could not stand even a sip of coffee. In college, I tried some full of flavored creamer and sugar, and thought I had found bliss! On down the road to today, I just drink it black. I have developed a taste for coffee, and I love drinking it (I still haven’t developed a taste for turnip greens). The point is, it takes many tastes before we may find a food or drink to be pleasing to us. In many ways, studying God’s word is the same way. We must experience the goodness of the Lord. “Taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Ps. 34:8). “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Ps. 119:103). “Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” (Ps. 19:10). As we read through the Psalms this month, try to develop an appetite for them. Meditate on them; contemplate their meanings and feel their emotions. Apply them to your own life and see how good the Lord is to you!
In Psalm 27, written by David, we see a man who is developing courage from God in the face of his enemies. He writes, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” The idea of God as our light is one that is prevalent through not only the Psalms, but the entire Bible. In John 1, Jesus is called many things that affirm his deity. In verse 1, he is called “the Word,” who “was God.” Continuing in verses 4-5, he is life and light, he shines in the darkness, and he will not be overcome by the darkness. It is this same God who gave David great courage and confidence in the face of his enemies.
Back in our Psalm, David shares with us some reasons why God is the illuminator of his life. One reason is because he has sought God’s face. “You have said, ‘Seek my face.’ My heart says to you, ‘Your face, Lord, do I seek’” (vs. 8). The command to seek is addressed to more than one person, yet David says “I seek you.” Regardless of how others act, David was going to search for God. This seeking is not something reserved for difficult times. He makes requests to dwell in God’s house that he may “gaze upon the beauty of the Lord” (vs. 4). He asks God, “Teach my your way, O Lord” (vs. 11). We must come to the same understanding that our primary desire and need in life is God himself. Only when we can clearly see Him will we have the trust to say, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Today, begin to develop an appetite for the Psalms. Seek the Lord, and you will find Him.
