In Psalm 119:103 the psalmist says, “How sweet are Your words to my taste! / Sweeter than honey to my mouth!” What an enjoyment! Because of such an enjoyment, the function is manifested. Verse 105 goes on to say, “Your word is a lamp to my feet / And a light to my path.” One of the elements in the Lord’s word is light. When the Bible mentions light, it refers to the source of life. There is life only if there is light. Where there is darkness, there is death, but where there is brightness, there is life. Darkness brings in death, whereas light brings in life. The word of the Lord is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, bringing life along with it that we may receive a supply within.
Then the psalmist goes on to say, “The opening of Your words gives light, / Imparting understanding to the simple” (v. 130). The Chinese Bible renders simple as foolish. The people of the world are all foolish, living all the day long in a muddled and befuddled condition. Young people are young fools, and old people are old fools; men are foolish, and women are also foolish. Only one kind of person in this world is not foolish, and this is one who eats the Lord’s word. One who eats the Lord’s word has the Lord’s word in him, on the one hand, to be a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path, and on the other hand, to shine over him and enlighten him, giving him understanding to apprehend what human life is—what it is to be a parent, to be a child, to fear God, and to live before men a life that is pleasing to God. This causes a foolish person to become a person of understanding. It is not surprising at all for the psalmist to say that he anticipated the dawning of the morning, cried, and hoped for the Lord’s word, putting the Lord’s word within himself to ponder over. All these speak of the function of the Lord’s word.
Moreover, when we come to the New Testament, the Lord spoke an even more wonderful word. He said in the Gospel of John that His words are spirit and are life. When we receive the Lord’s word, we receive the Lord Himself. As a result, what we get are the Spirit and life. In 14:21 He said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him.” This manifestation is a supply. The Lord’s manifestation is all our supply. When the Lord leaves, our supply becomes short. Therefore, we must have the Lord’s manifestation to have His supply. To have the Lord’s manifestation, we must love Him and keep His word. Furthermore, the Lord went on to say in verse 23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make an abode with him.” This is not only His manifestation but even His making an abode with us. His manifestation is only for the moment, but His abiding with us is forever.
In 15:4 the Lord said, “Abide in Me and I in you.” In verse 7 He changed the “I” into “My words,” saying, “If you abide in Me and My words abide in you.” This proves that this word is a living word, which is the Lord Himself. Thus, when the Lord abides in us, His words also abide in us. This word is sweet and shining, and it gives understanding to men. This word is God Himself manifested to us as the Spirit and life. Furthermore, this word is He Himself abiding in us to be our supply that we may enjoy all His riches. All these depend on our having a heart that loves Him and a spirit that hungers and thirsts for Him.
Every day and every moment, we need to tell the Lord, “Lord, I love You, I want You, and I want to contact You through Your Word.” Then open the Bible, and whether it is morning, noon, or evening, you can contact Him and enjoy Him through His Word in this way. Even while waiting for a ride or riding in a car, you can also do some reading. In school or in the office, you can also use some free time to read a few verses. When you contact the Lord’s word, just with a few words by the spirit the Lord’s word will immediately enter into your spirit and touch your spirit. Then spontaneously you will pray. You may pray according to the Lord’s word or turn the word into application. In any case, once you pray, your spirit will be supplied and will touch the Lord.
This is to enjoy the Lord, which is also to drink the milk of the word. This will cause you to have all kinds of supply within for you to be enlightened, to be led, and to know how to live before the Lord. As a result, your life will grow. This is the proper way to live with the Lord and enjoy the Lord’s life, and this is also our normal Christian life.