The Oath

Psalms 119:105-112
(105) Nun. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
(106) I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.
(107) I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word!
(108) Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your rules.
(109) I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law.
(110) The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts.
(111) Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.
(112) I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.

Just about anyone who has gone through some kind of Sunday school curriculum has heard Psalm 119:105 at some point. It's a great one for illustrations too with flashlights and long winding paths. The question is -- do we really believe that?

Do we really believe that God's Word guides us in everything we do? The world around us is very dark. It tempts us with many basic behavioral things like bad entertainment options or eating too much. It also tempts us with more fundamental things like dishonoring God with our finances and living for ourselves. If we truly delight in God's Word then this won't be a problem for us. It will show us what to do.

Of course, God's Word doesn't tell us who we should marry. It doesn't tell us where we should specifically work. It doesn't tell us whether we should have pizza or pork chops for dinner. However, it does provide a framework for us to make these decisions. The ultimate question becomes whether what we do brings greater glory to God.

I don't think that verse 106 is optional. If we are Christians then we have sworn that same oath. We are committed to following God's rules. We can't do that unless we know what they are. This is why it is so important to be regularly reading Scripture.

We can call ourselves whatever we want. However, if we choose to take a buffet approach to our faith where we take what we like and leave what we don't then we have to rename our faith. That is pagan, not Christian. I recognize that some will understand some things in Scripture differently than others will. Without getting into specifics, the point is that we need to let Scripture shape us rather than letting our own opinions shape how we read Scripture.