SHARING THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

#1 · January 28, 2004, 1:15 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on January 28, 2004, 1:15 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

SHARING THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
January 25, 2004

Text: Psalm 119:105-112

Americans have somewhat mixed attitudes towards education. Have you
noticed that? On the one hand, we recognize its benefits. Supporting a
public education system which allows access to learning has contributed
significantly to the making of our nation. One of the primary stories
about old honest Abe Lincoln's childhood was his unquenchable desire to
be educated. On the other hand, there also tends to be a distrust of too
much education. The world of academics and intellectualism and theory
frequently runs into conflict with practical reality and down-to-earth
wisdom.

The story has been told of the young man who heard over and over that
"you need to get a good education to get anywhere in life." So, upon
finishing high school, he proceeded to community college. Finishing
there, his advisor told him to "get your bachelor's degree if you want to
get a good job." So he got his Bachelor's, and then heard that he needed
a master's. Receiving his master's, he felt proud and sure of a good job,
but the dean told him, "Competition is tough. You'll need a doctorate to
get anywhere." So he got his doctorate and applied for jobs.
Unfortunately, every application came back saying, "You're too old and
inexperienced. We're looking for younger persons with job experience!"

PhD recipients aren't guaranteed jobs either, so the tension continues to
exist: do I enter the work force as soon as possible and gain vocational
experience, or do I go the route of academic degrees and pursue the
opportunities that can be opened with them?

Regardless, though, of which side of the issue that we each personally
come down on, the unalterable fact remains that the American educational
system - in all its varieties - has been good for the nation. The
unalterable fact remains that over the whole of world history,
individuals and societies have sought to become better educated. And,
most important for us today, the unalterable fact remains that we who
respond by faith to God are exhorted throughout Scripture to learn and to
become educated in the ways of God.

This is what the whole of Psalm 119 is about. The psalmist - this
particular Psalm is not readily attributable to King David - begins it by
writing, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of
the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him
with the whole heart... With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me
not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that
I might not sin against thee." Not only does the psalmist think it not
too ponderous to be educated, but he is of the opinion that we should
joyfully learn the laws of God!

Unfortunately, there are many in our day who appear to disagree with the
psalmist. There are many who appear to believe that learning God's laws
are a struggle and an inefficient use of time rather than a life-lifting,
life-giving joy. To this, the psalmist responds in verse 97, "O how I
love thy law! it is my meditation all the day."

According to this Psalm, there is a practical reason for learning God's
laws. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." God's
words or laws or commandments - whichever term you choose to use - are
important to us for daily living. In our world, we have gotten used to a
lot of light. We can keep going day and night simply because we can
brighten our world with electrical lighting. I remember the GE
advertisement depicting the first baseball game held under the lights by
GE engineers. Nowadays, night games are the way to go because of greater
crowds.

But sometimes the lights go out. Electrical power can be interrupted.
Then what happens to us? We stumble around and stub our toes and are
thankful enough to find a candle - or a flashlight with a battery that
works. When we're immersed in the dark, even just a little light goes a
long way.

One of the great, wonderful truths of our faith is that none of us need
to miss our way; God provides the light whereby we find our way in this
world of darkness. We are not heirs to an empty religion with a kingdom
of darkness. We have been given a treasure that is life itself. God's
laws are not merely lists of rules and regulations which are meant to
hamper our ability to live. Rather, they give us life itself. God's laws
only seem to drag us down when we begin to look at temptations as our
source of successful living. God's laws hamper us only when we want to
place ourselves as the center of worship instead of God. When that
happens, then God's laws seem to be a burden. But they are a burden meant
to bring us back into the light that shows us our path.

God's laws do not come easily to us. It takes continuous study and
learning to be able to remember and respond to God's call. This is why
our Bible tells us over and over again to learn and apply God's word.
With reference to the kind of king that Israel was to select, Deuteronomy
17:18-19 reads: "When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write
for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the
priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all
the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and
follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees..." Those
are instructions to a king - a human ruler of the land! Wouldn't it be
great if leaders everywhere did such a thing, and their followers did
likewise?

Reflect upon how the knowledge of God's law impacted the writer of this
Psalm. "I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy
word." "Quicken," in this usage, is translated other places as "give me
life," or "renew my life." For the psalmist, this education is not
useless; it is vital. It forms the essential part of life. In the midst
of conflict and affliction, whether physical or spiritual, he would not
forget God's law. What purpose does this serve?

It serves at least two purposes. First, the psalmist refused to allow
adversity to cause him to break God's law. What he knew to be true and
good in the up times would also be true and good in the down times. There
was not to be two standards - one for use during periods of victory and
another for use during periods of defeat. Rather, God's law was to be
remembered and applied faithfully in all situations. "The wicked have
laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts."

Second, God's laws bring renewal to life. Whether we are beset by
physical enemies, or mental enemies, or emotional enemies, or spiritual
enemies, we can return to the light of our path by remembering God's law.
"My soul is continually in my hand:" the psalmist writes, "yet do I not
forget thy law." He recognizes here his own mortality - that he can be
injured or killed at any time. Much of the time, his life seems to be in
his own hands. Yet, because he does not forget God's law, he receives a
hope and life given and strengthened by God.

Learning and living God's law becomes a life-long process. We cannot ever
get it all in "one shot." Rather, it comes through daily study and
practice. It comes through being in fellowship with others who want to
learn of God's laws. It comes through recognizing that they are a part of
our very heritage. "Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage forever:
for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to
perform thy statutes always, even unto the end."

This is, for the psalmist, a summation of his thoughts regarding God's
law. It is a summation he makes over and over throughout the 119th Psalm,
yet its point is not diminished through repetition. God set this world in
motion for a purpose, and that is to bring glory and praise to Him. To
accomplish this, He created a way for humanity to live. Whatever term we
may affix to them - law, commandment, word, precept, and so forth - they
are given so that we may live a life blessed by God. But this does not
come about merely by our existence. It comes about because we choose to
follow after God rather than the distractions of this world.

>From Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus tells us, "Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light." When Jesus tells us
this, he was saying something similar to the psalmist. Our learning and
our focus has to be upon the Lord. Certainly, Jesus' life was not easy
and free from discomforts. Neither were the lives of his disciples. Paul
and others who have sojourned the Christian faith in the centuries since
have experienced terrible difficulties. But they teach us that once our
hearts and minds are centered upon God, then we learn what peace is and
how it is applied to life.

That is why God's law is of such importance and joy to the psalmist. His
focus upon God keeps him upon the path which brings light. He recognizes
that there is no life outside of God. He humbles himself in the belief
that no law is complete or life-giving apart from God. We human beings
are searchers and seekers. We want to know as much as we can about
ourselves and our environment. There is nothing wrong with our innate
curiosity. But what we need to recognize, along with the psalmist, is
that nothing apart from God will bear fruit. Our knowledge will come to
nothing - knowledge will even do us in - if we are not learning, obeying,
and sharing God's word constantly, consistently, and faithfully.

Psalm 119 ends this way: "I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and
thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and
let thy judgments help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy
servant; for I do not forget thy commandments." Through our faith in
Jesus Christ, may this, too, be our hope and prayer.

Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN

________________________________________________________________
The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand!
Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER!
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Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

SHARING THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
January 25, 2004

Text: Psalm 119:105-112

Americans have somewhat mixed attitudes towards education. Have you
noticed that? On the one hand, we recognize its benefits. Supporting a
public education system which allows access to learning has contributed
significantly to the making of our nation. One of the primary stories
about old honest Abe Lincoln's childhood was his unquenchable desire to
be educated. On the other hand, there also tends to be a distrust of too
much education. The world of academics and intellectualism and theory
frequently runs into conflict with practical reality and down-to-earth
wisdom.

The story has been told of the young man who heard over and over that
"you need to get a good education to get anywhere in life." So, upon
finishing high school, he proceeded to community college. Finishing
there, his advisor told him to "get your bachelor's degree if you want to
get a good job." So he got his Bachelor's, and then heard that he needed
a master's. Receiving his master's, he felt proud and sure of a good job,
but the dean told him, "Competition is tough. You'll need a doctorate to
get anywhere." So he got his doctorate and applied for jobs.
Unfortunately, every application came back saying, "You're too old and
inexperienced. We're looking for younger persons with job experience!"

PhD recipients aren't guaranteed jobs either, so the tension continues to
exist: do I enter the work force as soon as possible and gain vocational
experience, or do I go the route of academic degrees and pursue the
opportunities that can be opened with them?

Regardless, though, of which side of the issue that we each personally
come down on, the unalterable fact remains that the American educational
system - in all its varieties - has been good for the nation. The
unalterable fact remains that over the whole of world history,
individuals and societies have sought to become better educated. And,
most important for us today, the unalterable fact remains that we who
respond by faith to God are exhorted throughout Scripture to learn and to
become educated in the ways of God.

This is what the whole of Psalm 119 is about. The psalmist - this
particular Psalm is not readily attributable to King David - begins it by
writing, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of
the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him
with the whole heart... With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me
not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that
I might not sin against thee." Not only does the psalmist think it not
too ponderous to be educated, but he is of the opinion that we should
joyfully learn the laws of God!

Unfortunately, there are many in our day who appear to disagree with the
psalmist. There are many who appear to believe that learning God's laws
are a struggle and an inefficient use of time rather than a life-lifting,
life-giving joy. To this, the psalmist responds in verse 97, "O how I
love thy law! it is my meditation all the day."

According to this Psalm, there is a practical reason for learning God's
laws. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." God's
words or laws or commandments - whichever term you choose to use - are
important to us for daily living. In our world, we have gotten used to a
lot of light. We can keep going day and night simply because we can
brighten our world with electrical lighting. I remember the GE
advertisement depicting the first baseball game held under the lights by
GE engineers. Nowadays, night games are the way to go because of greater
crowds.

But sometimes the lights go out. Electrical power can be interrupted.
Then what happens to us? We stumble around and stub our toes and are
thankful enough to find a candle - or a flashlight with a battery that
works. When we're immersed in the dark, even just a little light goes a
long way.

One of the great, wonderful truths of our faith is that none of us need
to miss our way; God provides the light whereby we find our way in this
world of darkness. We are not heirs to an empty religion with a kingdom
of darkness. We have been given a treasure that is life itself. God's
laws are not merely lists of rules and regulations which are meant to
hamper our ability to live. Rather, they give us life itself. God's laws
only seem to drag us down when we begin to look at temptations as our
source of successful living. God's laws hamper us only when we want to
place ourselves as the center of worship instead of God. When that
happens, then God's laws seem to be a burden. But they are a burden meant
to bring us back into the light that shows us our path.

God's laws do not come easily to us. It takes continuous study and
learning to be able to remember and respond to God's call. This is why
our Bible tells us over and over again to learn and apply God's word.
With reference to the kind of king that Israel was to select, Deuteronomy
17:18-19 reads: "When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write
for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the
priests, who are Levites. It is to be with him, and he is to read it all
the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and
follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees..." Those
are instructions to a king - a human ruler of the land! Wouldn't it be
great if leaders everywhere did such a thing, and their followers did
likewise?

Reflect upon how the knowledge of God's law impacted the writer of this
Psalm. "I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy
word." "Quicken," in this usage, is translated other places as "give me
life," or "renew my life." For the psalmist, this education is not
useless; it is vital. It forms the essential part of life. In the midst
of conflict and affliction, whether physical or spiritual, he would not
forget God's law. What purpose does this serve?

It serves at least two purposes. First, the psalmist refused to allow
adversity to cause him to break God's law. What he knew to be true and
good in the up times would also be true and good in the down times. There
was not to be two standards - one for use during periods of victory and
another for use during periods of defeat. Rather, God's law was to be
remembered and applied faithfully in all situations. "The wicked have
laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts."

Second, God's laws bring renewal to life. Whether we are beset by
physical enemies, or mental enemies, or emotional enemies, or spiritual
enemies, we can return to the light of our path by remembering God's law.
"My soul is continually in my hand:" the psalmist writes, "yet do I not
forget thy law." He recognizes here his own mortality - that he can be
injured or killed at any time. Much of the time, his life seems to be in
his own hands. Yet, because he does not forget God's law, he receives a
hope and life given and strengthened by God.

Learning and living God's law becomes a life-long process. We cannot ever
get it all in "one shot." Rather, it comes through daily study and
practice. It comes through being in fellowship with others who want to
learn of God's laws. It comes through recognizing that they are a part of
our very heritage. "Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage forever:
for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to
perform thy statutes always, even unto the end."

This is, for the psalmist, a summation of his thoughts regarding God's
law. It is a summation he makes over and over throughout the 119th Psalm,
yet its point is not diminished through repetition. God set this world in
motion for a purpose, and that is to bring glory and praise to Him. To
accomplish this, He created a way for humanity to live. Whatever term we
may affix to them - law, commandment, word, precept, and so forth - they
are given so that we may live a life blessed by God. But this does not
come about merely by our existence. It comes about because we choose to
follow after God rather than the distractions of this world.

>From Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus tells us, "Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light." When Jesus tells us
this, he was saying something similar to the psalmist. Our learning and
our focus has to be upon the Lord. Certainly, Jesus' life was not easy
and free from discomforts. Neither were the lives of his disciples. Paul
and others who have sojourned the Christian faith in the centuries since
have experienced terrible difficulties. But they teach us that once our
hearts and minds are centered upon God, then we learn what peace is and
how it is applied to life.

That is why God's law is of such importance and joy to the psalmist. His
focus upon God keeps him upon the path which brings light. He recognizes
that there is no life outside of God. He humbles himself in the belief
that no law is complete or life-giving apart from God. We human beings
are searchers and seekers. We want to know as much as we can about
ourselves and our environment. There is nothing wrong with our innate
curiosity. But what we need to recognize, along with the psalmist, is
that nothing apart from God will bear fruit. Our knowledge will come to
nothing - knowledge will even do us in - if we are not learning, obeying,
and sharing God's word constantly, consistently, and faithfully.

Psalm 119 ends this way: "I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and
thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and
let thy judgments help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy
servant; for I do not forget thy commandments." Through our faith in
Jesus Christ, may this, too, be our hope and prayer.

Rev. Charles A. Layne, pastor, First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill, IN

________________________________________________________________
The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand!
Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER!
Only $14.95/ month - visit http://www.juno.com to sign up today!