The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. (Ps. 119:130)
It’s not often that I get a letter in the mail these days. But when one arrives, the first thing I do is unfold it and lay it out on the table, even if it’s a doctor’s bill or an advertisement from a grocery store. I don’t like to begin reading when I can only see the top third of the page. I want to see the whole thing clearly.
I’ve discovered it’s the same with the Bible. I love to listen to the audio version of Scripture on my phone when I’m driving or resting in the evening. But when I’m listening, it is easy for my mind to wander or for my brain to skip over the parts that aren’t readily understood. If I want to really understand a passage in the Bible, I open my study Bible, read slowly, and focus on what the Holy Spirit wants to tell me through the words.
The psalmist said that the unfolding of the Word gives light. Earlier, in verse 105, he wrote, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” When we open the Bible and begin to read, the Spirit is waiting to illuminate the meaning for us. If we are to grow in our faith and relationship with God, communication through his written Word is vital.
Read Psalm 119 slowly and allow God to illuminate its message.
Beth Gormong is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and serves at Wesleyan Publishing House. She spends her free time at the library reading and writing books.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
