One of my favorite verses about the Word of God comes from Psalm 119: “Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my steps and a light for my path.” The Word of God as a lamp to light our path – it’s a very useful image for us, isn’t it?
I wonder – have you ever found yourself in absolute, total darkness, perhaps after a storm when the power’s out, or while exploring a cave, or in a forest at night? Can be a pretty scary experience, right?
Sometimes it seems that our world is in moral darkness too, filled with so much sin, division, anger and confusion. Perhaps your personal life seems dark and confused, beset by problems, anxiety, worry and depression. That’s when we really need to pay attention to the Word of God, for it is a “lamp for our steps, a light for our path.”
The Word of God is powerful and effective. In a wonderful passage from the Prophet Isaiah, the Lord says: “For just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful . . . so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.” (Is 55: 10-11)
It’s true – the Word of God accomplishes remarkable things in us. It gives us direction when we’re lost, comforts us whenever we’re troubled, challenges us to do the right thing, rebukes us when we don’t, and lovingly forgives us when we’re truly sorry.
Throughout salvation history, God has spoken to his people. The Lord spoke to Adam and Eve, to patriarchs, prophets and kings calling them always to be faithful to the Covenant. And in the New Testament, too, God spoke to his people as he unfolded the plan of salvation before their very eyes. And finally, after all the centuries had passed, the Word of God became so real, so intense, that the “Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.” And of course no one could speak the Word of God as Jesus did because he himself was the Word of God!
Dear friends, God is speaking to you today, so pay attention, for his word is a “lamp for your steps and a light for your path.”
Something to think about: Are there special times when God speaks to you?