A Lamp for My Feet

This post is part of a devotional series based on our 2019 Bible Reading Calendar.

Psalm 119 is a beautiful, extended meditation on God’s word. In 119:105, the Psalm says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”

Followers of Jesus are an in-between people. We are the people of God’s eternal Kingdom living in the world of now. We are citizens of heaven dwelling in the kingdoms of the earth. We are ambassadors, as Paul famously wrote the Corinthians, representing Jesus and the light of his goodness in a world darkened by sin.

The Bible is a life guide. It’s God’s story about Jesus and our relationship to him. It guides and directs us in how to live as in-betweeners, people of hope in a world that is often so hopeless.

When the Psalm tells us that God’s word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path, it helps us to see the Bible’s role in our day to day lives.

When we follow Jesus, we find ourselves on a path that leads to the Eternal Kingdom, a joyful forever. We know where we began through hearing the Gospel, trusting in Jesus, and walking away from a life of rebellion against God. We know the end of this life’s journey. Either we will die or Jesus will return. Even if the former, “to be away from the body” (at least “away” until the resurrection) is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). And, while God doesn’t give us many details, we know that eternal life is filled with unhindered joy and peace in the presence of Jesus.

But we don’t always know the twists and turns of the path as we follow Jesus. As Psalm 23 states, sometimes we face dark valleys and sometimes we find quiet pastures beside still waters.

God does not intend the Bible to provide every detail of life between the here and there. The Bible also doesn’t definitively answer every question we face. The Bible does speak clearly on many things, especially in regard to Christ-like behavior and character among his people. When it does speak clearly, we should be quick to obey.

Yet, in the places it doesn’t and in the things it does not address, it’s wisdom and the spirit of love it produces within us is to guide us.

In life, sometimes we see clearly and the road ahead is bright. In life, sometimes we are surrounded by darkness and we must weigh each step with consideration. The Bible is our guide. It leads us to Jesus and it leads us faithfully with Jesus until we stand in the presence of Jesus.

Scripture quotations taken from the Christian Standard Bible.