Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path… The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple… Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me. Psalm 119:105, 130, 133
Living in this fallen world can be terribly confusing. As our culture continually devolves further into moral and religious chaos, it becomes increasingly difficult to navigate life amidst all the noise and conflicting voices vying for our loyalty. Though the various devices the devil uses to confound, confuse, and dishearten us may take on any number of new forms, the fundamental elements of his attacks have never changed. It still boils down to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life when we are tempted to sin (Genesis 3:1-6; James 1:13-15; 1 John 2:15-17).
The good news from this is that, just as the problem remains fundamentally the same, so does the solution. The psalmist set forth the means by which God’s people may see clearly to walk in this world of darkness, and consistently it comes back to embracing His word. This may seem too simplistic to warrant discussion, but it is in precisely this way that increasing numbers of our brethren are being led away from His path (Matthew 7:13-14; 2 Peter 2:1-3, 17-22).
In the passages above, the psalmist described God’s word as the means by which His people may find their way through the darkness in this world. Who among us cannot relate to the struggle of trying to walk in the darkness amidst the many stumbling blocks that may trip us up? In Psalm 119:105, His word is a lamp to the feet and a light to the path. In 119:130, the means of the word’s illumination becomes clearer. His word gives light by giving understanding to the simple. I would argue even the brightest minds amongst us are “simple” when facing the sophistication of our adversary, so none of us can navigate this world apart from His word. Indeed, it is in this way that the Lord directs the steps of His people (119:133; Ephesians 5:15-17; 6:10-18).
What a blessing it is to know that, despite the place and time in human history, the source of direction leading to eternal life with God will never change. In Psalm 119:89, the psalmist stated that His word is forever settled in the heavens. In Hebrews 13:8, we find Jesus Christ always the same. In James 1:17, we are reminded that there is no variation or shifting shadow with God. Though the specific covenant under which we operate today is different than that of the psalmist, it still comes back to embracing the word of the Lord, recognizing that it is by every word of God that we will live (Matt. 4:4). So, let’s be about the business of finding out what is the will of God (Romans 12:2), thereby bringing stability and direction to our souls to ensure our eternal destiny.