The Word Is a Light

Read

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

Psalm 119 is a wisdom psalm that expounds on God’s Word as the perfect guide for life. In verse 105, the psalmist says that God’s Word is a lamp to his feet and a light to his path. In the ancient Near East, a lamp was a small bowl with a pinched lip on the side where the wick would sit. Filling the bowl with oil, you would light the wick, providing enough light to illuminate a dark path.

As we go through life, we’re frequently faced with situations beyond our ability to navigate: decisions we have to make, challenging circumstances we face, ideas and ideologies we have to wrestle with. We try to figure things out on our own, but without a guide, we stumble in the darkness. We need a trustworthy light to illuminate the dark path in front of us.

In God’s Word, we find such a guide. In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul tells us that all Scripture is God’s breathed-out Word, meaning the words found in the Bible are from God. Do you have someone in your life who is so reliable that when they tell you something, you trust their words without question? You can trust them because their character has proven to you over time that they are trustworthy. And if we can trust a person’s words, how much more can we trust the words of our perfect God, who has proven time and again that he is good? God’s Word is a trustworthy and reliable guide because God is a trustworthy and reliable guide.

You may currently face a situation beyond your ability to navigate—a decision you have to make or a challenging circumstance you have to respond to. God’s Word is a bright light to guide your dark path and provide you with the wisdom you need. And not only will God’s Word give you wisdom, but in obeying God’s Word, you will grow as a person of wisdom who can shine his light in a dark world.

Think of a time when God’s Word has given you wisdom during a difficult circumstance. Spend time in thanksgiving for his guidance.

Praise God that he is trustworthy and reliable. Are there areas in your life where you can better trust God’s Word for guidance?

Pray

Heavenly Father, you have given me your perfect Word as a guide through this imperfect world. Because you are good, trustworthy, omniscient, and kind, I can lean into your guidance in every situation I face. You care about my life and the decisions I have to make. Your Word has the power to bring order to chaos and is light in the darkness. I have no reason to fear. As I hide your Word deep in my heart, teach me how to read and apply it to my life. Amen.

God’s Word guides us.