“Make your face shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.” Psalm 119.135
The poet sang of his need for guidance and protection from iniquity (133). He then sang of his need for deliverance from worldly oppression (134). Here, he sings of his need for teaching for the Lord. He longs for communion, for the Lord’s face to shine upon him. He also longs for understanding, an oft-repeated theme of this psalm.
The psalmist longs for the Lord to stand in contrast to the world around him. The world is full of iniquity and oppression. In contrast, he longs for the Lord’s face to shine upon him. He prays for the favor of the Lord. And, the sign of God’s favor that he seeks is for the Lord to teach him, for his God to grant understanding of his Word.
We live in a fallen world. That necessarily means we will face temptation, spiritual attacks, and oppression from a worldly system opposed to God. That’s the reality we live in. To survive and live worshipfully in such an environment, we must seek the Lord. We must seek understanding of his Word.
When you think of the favor of the Lord, what sort of things come to mind? How often do you seek the Lord, praying for understanding of his statutes? How does this affect the way you look at the world?
God, our refuge, we praise you for your grace and mercy. We pray that you would cause your face to shine upon us, guiding us to live according to your law, testimonies, and precepts. Teach us, dear Lord, to walk by faith according to your Word. Amen.