O my soul,
If you desire that the Lord light up your eyes, what are you doing about that?
Are you surprised that I ask what you are doing, as if it could make any difference? Whether the Lord chooses to light up your eyes is entirely out of your hands isn’t it?
By no means!
Listen again to the psalmist.
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
― Psalm 19:7-11
Start by noticing the pure commandment of the Lord which enlightens the eyes. But we must ingest the whole of it.
O my soul, do you desire the rules of the Lord? Do you know their sweetness? Do you know that great reward which is keeping them? Do you desire to be revived? Are you feeding and watering that desire that it may flourish, and you with it? Do you even know how?
The psalmist is telling it, over and over. The law of the Lord is perfect. The testimony of the Lord is sure. The precepts of the Lord are right. The commandment of the Lord is pure. These revive the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, and enlighten the eyes.
So my question to you is, have you immersed yourself in these and do you continue to do so? Do you begin each new day by plunging into the word of God, his law, his testimony, his precepts, and his commandments? And if not, why not?
There is joy here in the face of a demoralising and depressing world. There is power here in the face of the overwhelming and apparently insoluble problems of the world⸺oppression, self-interest, corruption, exploitation, hatred, and war. In such contrast to the world’s murkiness and moral ambiguity, the commandment of the Lord is pure and it enlightens the eyes.
O my soul, steep yourself in the word of God, each morning and throughout the day. Wrap yourself in it and walk in it, with rejoicing and a grateful heart.
Perhaps you have been waiting for deliverance now for so long you have started to think there is nothing else you can do. O my soul, you must not wallow in your waiting, as if there is nothing to be done. That could not be further from the truth.
In your waiting, as days become weeks and weeks become months and with each passing year, are you growing in your desire for the Lord? Are you growing in faith? Are you growing in love and holiness?
O my soul, this year is so very rapidly approaching its end. Ask yourself, does my heart desire the Lord more so now than at its beginning? Is my faith stronger and more resilient? Have I grown in love and holiness? If not, it has surely been a waste of a year. Do not be so negligent as to waste the next one!
In your own longing for change listen to the longing of the psalmist. It is above all a longing for personal holiness.
Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
― Psalm 119:1-5
There is both longing and determination here, and also realism, for doesn’t this task seem to be utterly beyond us? But it is not.
Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments. Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your way with those who love your name. Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.
― Psalm 119:129-133
Again, you must be diligent to let no iniquity get dominion over you.
There are three more things that remain to be done, and these can be learnt from the Apostle Paul in just half a sentence. The whole sentence is simply too overwhelming to take in at one go, because this is Paul! He has just been describing our glorious inheritance in Christ and the guarantee we have in the Holy Spirit.
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened …
― Ephesians 1:15-18a
What are these three things?
The first is to exercise faith in the Lord Jesus, so it may grow. Are you waiting on an impossible promise from the Lord? Then keep on waiting, believing and not doubting, and he will light up your eyes.
The second is to pray. This is Paul’s prayer for the saints in Ephesus. Make it your own and not only yours. Pray for the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of the Lord to light up the eyes of your heart, those eyes of faith, which must shine in expectation and reflected glory. And pray this also for others.
The third is to love. Do not hold back from loving all the saints. The saints are simply the Lord’s people, although some are not yet so very saintly to be sure, being still in the early stages of sanctification and humility. But you must love, and you must not overlook that little word all. If you desire that the Lord light up your eyes, then you must love all the saints.
Desiring the law of the Lord and his testimonies and his precepts and his commandments and his rules is ultimately an outworking of love itself, our love for the Lord in response to his own great love.
Are you starting to understand how to put yourself in the place of the Lord lighting up your eyes?
O my soul, love the Lord and do not hold back! 🙏