Good Morning,

"All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee."  Psalms 22:27  Do you remember the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to redeem you from your sins?

Psalm 97:11, "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart."

Today's verse reminds me of the daily benefits of God's grace as it is sown into our hearts. The word "sown" speaks of something being scattered or dispersed. We have all seen seed being sown with the hope of germination and ultimately fruit being produced because seed had been sown or scattered.

Our verse speaks of two things being sown by God to those who are righteous and upright in heart; they are light and gladness. God is sowing light through His Son and His Word. We read in John 1:4-5 concerning Christ, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

Darkness cannot conquer or overcome light, when light is sown, darkness flees. Jesus would later give this testimony "...I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light o life." (John 8:12) Concerning God's Word the Bible states, "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it givet understanding unto the simple."(Psalm 119:130) "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary states: "those that rejoice in Christ Jesus, and in his exaltation, have fountains of joy prepared for them. Those that sow in tears, shall reap in joy. Gladness is sure to the upright in heart; the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment. Sinners tremble, but saints rejoice at God's holiness. As he hates sin, yet freely loves the person of the repentant sinner who believes in Christ, he will make a final separation between the person he loves and the sin he hates, and sanctify his people wholly, body, soul, and spirit."

May we live our lives in the "light" of God's Son and in the "light" of His Word. Gladness will be ours as promised in  salm 97:11.

Your Friend and His,

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Pastor Mike Abbott