17 Deal bountifully with your servant,
that I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of your law.

“Open thou my eyes,” states the King James.

‘Open,’ as ‘uncover’ what you do not see exists in the eyes of God, never-the-less.

And note from the translation that it is God we ask to open our eyes and not we ourselves who open our eyes to anything without first opening our eyes to the Lord God.  It is that same understanding of good and evil that God sees.

Two important meditations of understanding follow:

1. We are sojourners – travelers on the earth. As children of God we have become strangers who do not belong on this earth of sin.
2. Our prayer to our Father in heaven is that He would reveal or uncover what He sees in the Law and the Commandments.

19 I am a sojourner on the earth;
hide not your commandments from me!

20 My soul is consumed with longing
for your rules at all times.
21 You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,
who wander from your commandments.

Is your soul consumed with longing for God’s rules at all time?

For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. – Deuteronomy 4:24

“My soul breaketh,” states the KJV. Does your heart break; is it crushed with longing for the judgments of God? The KJV also points toward the wrath of God on those who do not consider His commandments:

21 Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.

In this the Psalmist warns: the curse of God will come upon those who are proud and err in our ways of wandering from the straight and narrow path of the commandments. God rebukes those He loves; but we had best listen and repent if we do not want to experience the wrath of God’s consuming fire.

22 Take away from me scorn and contempt,
for I have kept your testimonies.
23 Even though princes sit plotting against me,
your servant will meditate on your statutes.

To meditate on the word of the Lord is a picture of life – a germination of a new and godly life in our soul which can blossom into eternal life.

24 Your testimonies are my delight;
they are my counselors.