THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET, NOT A BEACON

1/26/16

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

When King David wrote this psalm, he was showing the importance of God's light and direction for us as a people. For without God's direction for us, we are a lost people, ever groping in the darkness. We are then as blind men, who would eventually end up in the ditch, rather than following the path that He has set ahead for us.

But in saying that His word is a lamp unto our feet, doesn’t mean that God is providing a huge beacon that would shine ahead for us to see every step of the way. It is rather a step-by-step process, as we walk ahead with the light that He provides for us daily. A lamp shines only so far as the light within it will be able to shine. It illuminates the one who is holding it, thus enabling him to see, even in the dark. We are told that God's light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never been able to understand it.

5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:5

If we were able to see everything ahead of us, we could end up relying upon our own sources of direction and light. We aren''t allowed to see everything that lies ahead of us, and that is a good thing. We aren't given a crystal ball that would illuminate all of our travels ahead. Even those who use a GPS find out eventually, that the directions that they are given are either outdated or wrong at times. If this is true with driving a car or a truck, how much more important is our spiritual journey in this life.

When the world around us grows darker and darker, we can be assured that the light of God's word and His personal revelation given to us, will enable His children to see through the roadblocks and obstacles that are ahead. The greatest achievements in technology or science won’t be sufficient. All of the new age philosophies o r gurus will fall short of giving us the answers that we need.

Perhaps some of us have driven through weather that makes it very difficult to see ahead. I remember several times having to inch our car ahead as the fog around us, descended and prevented me from seeing. It was very difficult, and one could imagine something jumping in front of us in the form of a deer, or some other type of animal. Our headlights were on dim, and eventually the clouds lifted, and the road ahead became more visible. Our spiritual life can become very cloudy at times, and we need to adjust our spiritual headlights to see ahead. Eventually, the clouds will lift, and the horizon ahead will become more visible, thus enabling us to see the vistas of God’s promises ahead.

THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED. Matt. 4:16

Stephen Hanson