Skip to content Psalm 119: The Word — Our Lamp and Mountaintop View Aug 15 · 16 min ...more
Psalm 119: The Word — Our Lamp and Mountaintop View
August 15, 2026 · 16 min
An invitation to behold Scripture as our lamp and guide, meditate on God’s law, and let His Word shape our witness so others are drawn to Christ.
Series Stand on the Word - Video On Demand August 15, 2026 · 16 min · Stand on the Word - Video On Demand
An invitation to behold Scripture as our lamp and guide, meditate on God’s law, and let His Word shape our witness so others are drawn to Christ. ...more Show the full description Show less An invitation to behold Scripture as our lamp and guide, meditate on God’s law, and let His Word shape our witness so others are drawn to Christ.
Series Stand on the Word - Video On Demand Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
93.9K followers
Family Research Council is serving in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, & freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
93.9K followers
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
Wisdom Through God's Word 0:09 Good morning, and welcome to the oasis of praise as our remarkable journey through Psalm 1 19 continues. This is really the heart of Stand on the Word. It is the word of God. And I0:21 as I've mentioned in the past for those of you who have been on this journey, I'm just the kind of the the trail master. I'm just kinda leading us on this journey. It's the Holy Spirit who teaches us. But I like to point0:31 out certain views, if you've ever hiked, the trail. I I I've hiked the Appalachian Trail. Not the whole thing, but parts of it. And there's certain spots that are just beautiful, breathtaking. And this is 1 of those0:42 places where as we remarkable0:54 journey through the word of God. And and and by the way, I am very encouraged by the testimonies that many of you have sent in. We've gotten a lot of them. Sending in the the videos, and I'm1:06 gonna have another 1 to share to today. But it's so encouraging to to hear how the word of God has and is impacting. And I just I I pray every day that1:18 more people, Christians in particular, but I wanted the lost people to come to know Jesus as well. And you know how that can happen? If you and I who claim to follow Christ1:30 live for him in an authentic way. And the only way to do that is by abiding in him through his word. And so, my prayer is that more believers, more followers of Christ would get into his word1:42 so that his word gets into us and it changes the way we live. And it becomes so attractive to those around us because they wanna know why. Why are you peaceful? Why1:54 are you calm in the midst of these difficulties? And you know what? Here it is right here in Psalm 1 19. Verse 1 0 5, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my2:06 path. So suppose I told you there was an opportunity to have an advantage in this life. You know, what some might inaccurate inaccurately call privilege. And I say2:18 inaccurate because privilege privilege is not something that's available to everyone. This opportunity this opportunity right here is available to everyone. Unfortunately,2:31 few take it. And here it is, verse 97. Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day. You through your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they2:42 are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients2:54 because I keep your precepts. We live in the age of information. We have technology. We have everything at our fingertips. But you know what? That doesn't make us wise. It doesn't give us wisdom and understanding.3:07 But the word of God does. Recall the saying, for those of you who've been on the journey, I don't know I've shared it here in in Psalms, but, this is a saying that I learned at a camp that I I've3:19 taken all my children to, and they were teenagers. It was a father teen ranch, JH Ranch, Heather and Bruce Johnson, Bruce Johnson, who are friends. This is what, I heard3:30 at the camp, and this is the the the saying, I heard and I forgot. I saw and I remembered. I did and I understood. The power of god's word gives us an advantage, but not just3:42 in reading it and knowing it or memorizing it. We must do it. We must live by the word of God. It it it it when we do that, that's what keeps3:55 us from evil and gives us understanding. That's what Jesus said in John chapter 17 about God's word sanctifying us. This is why the Bible4:07 was a major factor in America's founding. Alright? John Adams, the 2nd president of the United States, he said this, our constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government4:18 of any other. Now was he just talking about religion in general? No. He was talking about Christianity. Look at what his son, John Quincy Adams, who also served as president. He was the 6th president of the United4:30 States. He said this, the Bible is of all books in the world that which contributes most to make men good, wise, and happy. And by the way, let me just remind you, of a great resource4:42 available, in this 250th anniversary of America, our God in government course that I have taught. It's on video. You know, what does the the Bible have to say about government? And what did and how did4:54 our founders approach it? Well, I address that in the God and government course, and it's available. Simply text course to 6 7 7 4 2. That's course to 6 7 7 4 2, and I'll send you a link. Verse 1 05:06 1. I have restrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep your word. I have not departed from your judgments for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste? Sweeter than honeyGod's Word as Light and Guide 5:18 to my mouth. Sounds very much like Psalm, 19. Through your precepts, I get understanding. Therefore, I hate every false way. In verse 1 0 5, your word is a lamp to my feet and a5:30 light to my path. This is 1 of those verses that's so well known that we we sometimes just miss the the depth of the meaning because we just read it and we move on. God's5:41 word illuminates the way for us. Now rarely today are we beyond the reach of a a light switch or a streetlight. I mean, very, very5:53 rarely are we in the dark. But if you have ever been in the woods at night, for those hunters that push the limits and go all the way up to, to the sunsetting, You're trying to track a deer or something6:05 or you're in the the woods late at night and you don't have a light, it is dark. It helps to have a light, and it it helps us to avoid the pitfalls and the obstacles that6:17 are in our way. And by the way, the lamps that they used here, the the scripture's talking about, were oil lamps or torches that were fueled by oil, like a6:29 battery today in our flashlights. But the Holy Spirit is that oil. The word and the spirit together. I'm gonna jump down to to verse 1 0 1 30. The entrance of your6:41 word your words gives light. It gives understanding to the simple. Verse 1 33, direct my steps to your word and let no iniquity have dominion over me.6:53 God's word gives direction to our lives and illuminates our path. If we will, as the psalmist writes, desire, read, meditate upon, and then7:05 obey the word of God. Alright. Back to 1 0 7. I am afflicted very much. Revive me, oh lord, according to your word. Except I pray the free will offerings of my mouth, oh Lord, and teach me your7:17 judgments. My life is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not strayed from your precepts. Now we've seen this7:29 before, but I wanna point I want to point it out again because it's important. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Alright. When the challenges mount against you,7:41 press in closer to the Lord. Don't pull back. Read and meditate upon his word. Sometimes we're tempted to to say, well, God's forgotten us. Where is God? I'm not I'm not hearing from him. There are times we're not gonna7:52 hear from him. It's just there's this silence. I mean, look at, look at what Job went through. But that's not a time to pull back. It's a time to press in. We we cannot be drawn8:04 away by our motion our emotions and our feelings. We have to feed our faith. Remember, faith is is not the things that we see. It's the things that we know according to God's word. Feed your8:16 faith. Do not pull back from the Lord. Get in the word. Here's why. Look at verse 1 11. Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever for they are the rejoicing of my heart. I have inclined my heart to8:27 perform your statutes forever to the very end. I hate the double minded, but I love your law. A quick note here. James writes about these double minded men. They are unstable in all their8:39 ways. They're unreliable. This is, this is like the church at Laodicea. In Revelations chap Revelation chapter 3, they're lukewarm. Remember8:51 remember, there is no middle ground spiritually. You either you are either with God or you're against him, and that's what Jesus said. 1 14, you are my hiding place9:03 and my shield. I hope in your word. Depart from me, you evildoers, for I will keep the commandments of my God. Uphold me according to your word that I may live, and do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Verses9:15 1 14 and 1 16 underscore this. You cannot separate God from his word. God's word is true. We can count on his word. It is our source of hope in the most hopeless9:27 of circumstances. Look at verse 1 26. It is time for you to act, oh Lord, for they have regarded your law as void. Now this has relevance in so many different9:39 ways of what's happening today, but I'm I'm I think of the WNBA, the women's basketball league, about how, they're saying, you know, men who say that they are women can play in9:51 the league. And and and this debate's been going on for some time. It it brought to memory a headline that I had written down from the Olympics, and this was the headline, quote,10:02 sex eligibility rule rules for female athletes are complex and legally difficult. Complex? I mean, this10:14 was about biological men competing in women's boxing. That's complex. There's nothing difficult about this. Genesis chapter 1 verse 22. So god created10:26 them male or god created man in his own image. In the image of god, he created them. Male and female, he created them. And Jesus, by the way, reaffirmed that in Matthew chapter 19.10:38 It's not difficult unless, of course, you reject God's word. And here's something we need to understand. Okay? As followers of Christ, and thatStanding Firm in Trials 10:49 means we follow his word, which is what he's given us. We follow him. His word is instruction for our lives. God's word is not like a cafeteria line. It's not like11:01 going to where we used to go a lot with the kids, Piccadilly, where you could, you could choose what you wanna put on your plate. You cannot choose grace and pass over the truth. The 211:13 go together. You you can ask god you you can ask god's god for his blessing, but you cannot turn away from his ways. The the 2 go together. And so we we have to take11:25 god and his word. Verse 1 35. Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes. Rivers of water run down my eyes because men do not keep your law. It should grieve us in what is happening in our11:37 culture today. Righteous are you, oh lord, and upright are your judgment. Your testimonies, which you have commanded are righteous and very faithful. My zeal has consumed me because my enemies have forgotten your word.11:48 There is righteous indignation. There is such a thing. But not because we've been offended, but because God has. Our righteous indignation should be on behalf of God.12:00 And and that's not against people. It's against the enemies, the the spiritual forces that are at work. And we need to stand up and proclaim the truth of God's word. Do not shrink back. It should grieve us.12:12 As we spend time in God's word and we see how our culture has departed from it, we should be praying into that. And when the the Lord provides the12:24 opportunity speaking, whether it's in a private conversation, whether it's public, we should not shrink back from our alignment with the word of God. Your word is very pure.God's Enduring Truth Amid Culture 12:35 Therefore, your servant loves it. Do you tell people about the things you love? I like to tell people about my wife. I love her. Love to tell people about my kids. I love them. I love to talk.12:48 I bet this might surprise you, but I love to talk about the word of God. I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your13:00 precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness and your law is truth. Trouble and anguish have overtaken13:12 me, yet your commandments are my delight. The righteousness of your testimonies is everlasting. Give me understanding, and I shall live.13:24 Wow. This is so rich. 1 final observation. And and again, we've seen this previously, but notice in in verse 1 35, the writer asked to be taught. And in 1 44, he he writes, give me13:36 understanding. We must want, we must desire, we must ask for the Holy Spirit to teach us through the word of God. And Jesus said, he was sending the Holy Spirit to be our teacher, to13:48 lead us into all understanding of truth. We need to ask for that. That's a prayer that God will answer. And God will not hide that truth from us13:59 that would be counter to, you know, that that would if he did, that would be counter to his nature and counter to his word. He said, you ask and I'll give. As James wrote in in James 1 5, he says, if any14:11 of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. Wow. And and by the way, this is a14:23 perfect introduction for today's video from Renee.14:27 God's word has changed my life by literally making me smarter. It renews my mind not only in the sense for a spiritual sense, but it renews me in an intellectual14:39 sense that as well. I find myself making, smarter decisions. I think quicker, more able to respond in a more godly14:51 fashion, and it has just made me stronger mentally. That's how god's word has changed my life.14:59 Spot on. The word of god gives us that wisdom as we read today. Let's pray. Father, we ask for that. We ask for the holy spirit to give us understanding of your word, to lead us into all15:11 understanding. That, Lord, we might walk in the truth, that we might bring glory and honor to you. And, Lord, as we walk through difficulty with peace, as we solve problems that the world is looking for15:22 solutions to, lord, that is a testimony of your faithfulness that would point others to the cross of Jesus Christ. Lord, give us a desire and a hunger for your word. And then,Prayer for Understanding and Obedience 15:34 lord, may we not only read it, may we not only meditate upon it, but father help us to obey it. For we pray and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning, and until15:46 next time, keep standing on the word.15:51 Today's study comes from the stand on the word Bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you16:02 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Wisdom Through God's Word5:18 God's Word as Light and Guide10:42 Standing Firm in Trials12:33 God's Enduring Truth Amid Culture15:24 Prayer for Understanding and Obedience
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.