Songs of Renewal #10

We return today to the longest Psalm - Psalm 119, and the fourteenth stanza: 

105 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.

We have already alluded to the fact that the Word of God is crucial for our need for renewal.  The Psalmist is going through a rough time, feeling like others are out to get him, struggling with some sort of affliction, sensing that even though he has acted responsibly, his hands, his actions are not enough on their own. He needs help; he needs instruction, so he recommits himself to follow the path, the rules, the law, the statutes of God - not out of mere obligation or desperation, but with joy and thanksgiving and sincerity of heart. He is not looking for a quick fix, but a life, an ongoing relationship he will live out to the end following God's ways. May we say with him: give me life, O Lord, according to your word!