‘Be good to your servant while I live, that I may obey your word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.’ (vv17–18) Psalm 119:17–20
‘Goodness’ entered the English language as ‘godness’, indicating confidence in God’s divine goodness. We always want God to be good to us. Our difficulties arise when what we encounter doesn’t match our imagined path in life: a divorce, loss of a job, an unwelcome health condition.
Against such devastating experiences, we must balance our own voluntary commitment to follow God and our offer to surrender our life to His purpose. That commitment will always work with the degree of our measure of faith (Rom. 12:3). So we would expect to see diversity amongst Jesus’ disciples.
Our route to growing that measure of faith is to engage with God’s Word, and have a conversation with God, ourselves and, hopefully, other Christians over the extent to which we want, and then, are able, to live by it.
So the psalmist gives us this wonderful prayer for greater insight into God’s Word. Scripture is always so much more than words on a page. Like the various access points to Narnia created by C.S. Lewis, these words themselves can open our eyes to an entirely fresh understanding of ourselves and how we are to live within the material world. It demands courage and faithfulness, yet that measure of faith will grow in direct relation to the degree to which we choose to exercise it. No pain; no gain
Scripture to consider: Neh. 9:19–21; Psa. 119:17–40; Nahum 1:1–8; Rom. 5:1–11.
An action to take: When you approach Scripture, pause, pray and ask for God’s spectacles to see what God is saying to you through His Word today. Strengthen your faith muscle.
A prayer to make: ‘Lord, thank You that You speak so specifically to encourage and strengthen my faith. Amen.’
