Thy Word

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path..." My voice rang out loud and clear the other night, as my husband plucked the strings of the guitar, singing the words of the familiar song composed by Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. Those words, which come directly from Psalm 119:105 suddenly made me think, "Is God's Word really a light for my path?? 

As I pondered that analogy of the Word of God as a guiding light, I couldn't help recall camping trips with my family as a young girl. In the middle of the night, when I woke up and had to use the outhouse, what did I reach for? A flashlight! Unlike my family's home (of which I had memorized practically every piece of furniture and its location), this camping area was unfamiliar to me, so it was important to  have that flashlight so that I wouldn't trip over anything. Besides, it was outside, so there could be branches, bushes, a fire pit, etc. that I would need to be careful for. Being out on a campsite in the bush without electricity, it was also much darker than at home. And lastly, there might be animals around (skunks, snakes, even possibly bears!) and I definitely did not want to suddenly find myself up close with one of them. How very important to me was that flashlight in my hand, shedding light on everything before me on my way to the outhouse! If some noises suddenly made my heart skip a beat, I had only to shine the flashlight in the direction of the noises, and my fears would be instantly gone. 

As a Christian, God's Word is like that flashlight to me. It is such a huge part of my life, shedding light so that I can know which way to go in my life, showing me my identity in Christ, helping me get through the difficult times, and giving me hope to continue on. But sometimes, I forget how truly essential it is to me. And, I am ashamed to say, I take it for granted.

I have heard true stories of Christians living in difficult times and places who gather together secretly, sharing pieces of the Bible, and then memorize whole passages so that when they switch their section with another person, they will still have that part of the Word in their hearts. How I wish I could be more like them, treasuring God's word as the precious jewel that it is. 

I pray that I will not need difficult times in order for me to become aware of the true value of the Word. I pray that I will stop putting my daily personal meditation of the Word aside until after my work is all done. For, as Jesus Himself said to Satan when He was tempted by him in the desert, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Jesus quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 in Matthew 4:4). 

May these simple reflections of mine inspire us all (especially myself!) to renew our commitments to personal Bible study, studying the Word with a friend or spouse, women's / men's / couple's Bible studies, as well as attentive listening to weekly sermons. Even if some of those methods of studying God's Word need to be done online due to the current conditions, it can still continue! For, as God said to Joshua in the Old Testament, "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips, meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" (Joshua 1:8). And, as Jesus said in the New Testament, "Blessed ... are those who hear the Word of God and obey it" (Luke 11:28).

If this article was worth your time to read and you feel blessed in some way by it, please click "follow" or "subscribe via email" to get more of my articles in the future. God bless you all.