People who travel to Israel are often struck by the rich history that lies just beneath their feet. Shards of ancient pottery and pieces of Roman glass frequently work their way up to the surface and archeologists unearth countless numbers of ancient pots, dishes and water containers. They frequently find small oil lamps people used to light their way at night.

The lamps are only a few inches long with a handle at the back, a well for oil in the center and a spout in the front through which a wick was threaded. The oil saturates the wick and when it is lit, the lamp creates a small circle of light. The people in Bible times put their lamps into a cradle of knotted cord with a handle long enough for the lamp to hang down by their feet when they walked. The lamp gave just enough light to take the next step or two on a dark path.

The author of Psalm 119 must have had this kind of lamp in mind when he wrote:

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105

The Psalms in today’s reading are like a collection of those lamps. Each one sheds light on some important part of our journey through life. Let’s look at a few of them.

Psalm 128

If you are interested in a happy, healthy marriage, Psalm 128 sheds some light on the topic. It addresses the way to be blessed and prosperous, to have a contented spouse, and to raise thriving children.

“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.” Psalm 128:1-4

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom – and godly wisdom is the best resource for a successful marriage and family. The Lord gives only the best to everyone who asks him for guidance; it’s a tried and true formula for success. Many, many people look back over a lifetime of walking with God and are happy to report that these promises were fulfilled for them.

So use the light this Psalm offers: Walk in the fear of the Lord and practice obedience, and it will help you stay on the path to a healthy family.

Psalm 130

This is a great Psalm for someone who took a wrong turn and now finds herself at the far end of blind alley. People mess up. Sometimes we deliberately do the wrong thing, other times we just make mistakes. Either way, this Psalm encourages us to pray and look to the Lord to find our way back to peace.

If we have sinned, this Psalm reminds us that God pardons sinners. When we confess and ask for his forgiveness, the Lord restores us so we can get on with life.

“If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.” Psalm 130:3-4

If we don’t know what to do next in a situation, we can put our hope in the Lord and he will give us direction. Like a sentry keeping watch through the night and waiting for the sun to rise, we can trust the Lord to appear and give us guidance at just the right time.

The light for our path in this Psalm is found in verses 5 and 6.

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than the watchmen wait for the morning, more than the watchmen wait for the morning.” Psalm 130:5-6

If you can’t see the next step, stop, watch and wait for the Lord. He will surely answer to your prayers.

Psalm 135

God made people with the capacity to worship something greater than themselves, and most people can tell you what they esteem the most. The object of their devotion might be as lofty and worthy as God himself, or as down to earth as a local high school sports team with a long winning streak. Sometimes people find devotion to a sport, a hobby, or even a celebrity easier to get into than devotion to God.

But Psalm 135 is adamant that God is the One who deserves our worship. Nothing can match him.

“I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” Psalm 135:5-6

Since what we worship influences our wellbeing, it’s important to choose the object of our worship carefully.

“Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.” Psalm 135:3

Influenced by What We Worship

Unlike worldly gods, the Lord will never let down those who worship him. Everything less than God fails us eventually. Sports teams have losing seasons, celebrity reputations get tarnished, and hobbies and possessions lose their luster. If we worship earthly things we will be disappointed because when they fail, we feel like we fail. We identify with, and even become like the things we worship most.

“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” Psalm 135:15-18

Only the Lord endures forever and never fails. He alone is worthy of our devotion.

“Your name, Lord, endures forever, your renown, Lord, through all generations.” Psalm 135:13

When it comes to which path we will follow in worship, this Psalm is a lamp that lights the way back to our glorious Lord.

Daily Light

We know that Jesus probably meditated on the Psalms everyday. We can do the same, and then we have the light of their wisdom as a lamp for our feet. Getting familiar with the Psalms often leads to finding favorites and even memorizing them. They are a great way to learn how to pray.

As you continue to read through the Chronological Bible, you can always circle back to the Psalms like Jesus did. He let them fill his mind and direct his steps and his example is the very best one you can follow!