Guest Post by Sara Scates

Today’s Passage – Psalm 119:89 – Psalm 124

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

To walk an unlit path after dark without a source of light to illuminate the course ahead would be unwise. Chances are, without a flashlight or lantern, you are eventually going to stumble. Even when walking a well traveled area, it’s easy to trip on a root or for a fallen tree to go unnoticed until it painfully meets your shin. Navigating in darkness is dangerous.

This verse, found in Psalm 119, describes God’s Word as a ‘lamp.’ It is the light needed to illuminate the darkness on the path we travel. Keeping the light of God’s Word shining along the way lessens our chances of falling. The light of His Word allows us to anticipate and prepare for what kind of obstacles and dangers lie ahead of us.

Notice that it doesn’t ELIMINATE them, it simply ILLUMINATES them.

Using a flashlight when walking in the woods does not rid your walkway of hazards or things that may hurt you, it simply allows you to see them more clearly so that you can be ready for them when they do come upon you. The same with God’s Word. Spending time in communion with God and in His Word does not eliminate trials and tribulations from coming your way. But, it does help you to either take steps to avoid them or be prepared and deal with these things when they do arrive. What a blessing!

While meditating on this verse and these thoughts, it also made me think of this…

Think of what happens at night if you spend time reading before bed. You finish your book and get up to turn off the light. The room had been very well lit but now once you’ve cut off the light source so abruptly, your eyes have difficulty adjusting to the darkness and you cannot see ANYTHING! The room is dark, but because your eyes grew accustomed to the brightness, it is very hard for them to get used to the lack of light now. If you are anything like me, you WILL stub your toe as you feel your way to your bed.

Can we agree that this is what the Christian experiences when he forsakes God and His Word? A Christian that spends time studying their Bible has God’s wisdom and direction guiding their path. Their path is lit by the word. Being daily in the word, they have learned the skills needed to deal with certain issues. They have learned what paths to avoid and how to deal with unexpected detours. They have developed and strengthened a personal relationship with the Lord that will give them peace when encountering difficult situations. Our salvation cannot be taken away but God can remove the hedge of protection and cut off the flow of blessings to those that turn from Him and His Word. This leaves us wide open for destruction. We’ve all heard the stories of those that have gotten away from the word of God and the will of God and quickly found their lives filled with heartache, struggles, and turmoil and void of blessings, peace, and joy.

Christian, I encourage you to keep God’s Word as a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your path.