“Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.” –Psalm 43:3-4 (NEV).
Exquisite poetry came from the pens of those who wrote the Psalms and Proverbs. The verses for today’s consideration are a genuine example of Hebrew parallelism, one idea balanced against another as they reveal the genuineness of God’s consideration to usward. These lines were a prayer for deliverance, probably sung in temple or synagogue worship, and earnestly offered to God as a plea for sending light and truth to guide His children.
We in our modern places of worship often follow the patterns learned from the worship of the Hebrews at the actual time of the writing of our ancient scriptures. Songs and hymns invite us to worship. And with their words we are taught truths of our doctrines and our faith.
A beautiful picture is that of a place of worship on a hill with its beams of light inviting congregants to come and worship. Like a lighthouse on the coast that guides troubled ships safely into harbor, so the Light and Truth of God’s word are a guide to right living and a secure harbor in the treacherous sea of life.
Not only can we gain light and truth from public worship, but augmenting the experiences we have at church are our own individual times with God in the quietness of our private places where we can meet Him daily to gain sustenance from his Word and from prayer. All of these bring us exceeding joy. We may not have the musical capability to play the lyre in response, but our hearts can sing songs of praise as we absorb the light and truth God makes available to strengthen us.
Jesus added to and personalized the Psalmist’s declaration when he said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, ESV). He also gave a commission that relates to sending out God’s light and truth, and that is to each of us who is saved by grace through faith: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV).
Exquisite poetry came from the pens of those who wrote the Psalms and Proverbs. The verses for today’s consideration are a genuine example of Hebrew parallelism, one idea balanced against another as they reveal the genuineness of God’s consideration to usward. These lines were a prayer for deliverance, probably sung in temple or synagogue worship, and earnestly offered to God as a plea for sending light and truth to guide His children.
We in our modern places of worship often follow the patterns learned from the worship of the Hebrews at the actual time of the writing of our ancient scriptures. Songs and hymns invite us to worship. And with their words we are taught truths of our doctrines and our faith.
A beautiful picture is that of a place of worship on a hill with its beams of light inviting congregants to come and worship. Like a lighthouse on the coast that guides troubled ships safely into harbor, so the Light and Truth of God’s word are a guide to right living and a secure harbor in the treacherous sea of life.
Not only can we gain light and truth from public worship, but augmenting the experiences we have at church are our own individual times with God in the quietness of our private places where we can meet Him daily to gain sustenance from his Word and from prayer. All of these bring us exceeding joy. We may not have the musical capability to play the lyre in response, but our hearts can sing songs of praise as we absorb the light and truth God makes available to strengthen us.
Jesus added to and personalized the Psalmist’s declaration when he said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, ESV). He also gave a commission that relates to sending out God’s light and truth, and that is to each of us who is saved by grace through faith: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV).
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