Yesterday we began looking at one of the most familiar verses in Psalm 119......"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Do you have a good visual of the imagery used here? A few years ago the headlights on my car were replaced. Having new halogen bulbs opened up a whole new world for me, especially when they were on the high beam. I was amazed at how far I could see, and in how much detail! What does that have to do with Psalm 119? Quite a lot, actually! If we are honest, I think we would admit that what we want from God and His Word is that kind of bright light on the pathway that we call life. We want to know exactly what's ahead of us, perhaps in great detail. But is that what the psalmist is saying we can expect from God and His Word? No.
The imagery the psalmist gives us is more comparable to a very dim flashlight or a kerosene lantern as we walk down a dark path at night. With that kind of a light source we would probably only see one, or perhaps two, steps beyond our current position. We would not see everything ahead of us.....the curves in the path, the potholes, any creepy-crawlies or critters that might be ahead. We would have to make our journey based on the limited information available to us.....step by step. I think that is an important lesson for us to grasp. It's called living by faith! God sees the beginning and the end and everything in between. That's His job! It isn't our job! Our job is to walk step by step, taking one step at a time with the light available to us.
How do we discover what's ahead? How do we know God's will? By walking in the light that we have!
"O God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You.
O God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You.
I will seek You in the morning, and I will learn to walk in Your ways,
And step by step You'll lead me, and I will follow You all of my days."
-Strasser/Smith
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