From the Psalmist 119: 105-112: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe your righteous ordinances. I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word. Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord, and teach me your ordinances. I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.
The song now stuck in my head is a nice one. Amy Grant singing, "Thy Word." It was inspired by this passage, and David's familiarity with the Word was what inspired him to write the passage. For those walking in darkness, a great fall can come, and worse, one could lose one's way forever. It is in knowing God's word that we receive that lamp our feet need to avoid stumbling and the light that guides our path. So in love was David with God's word that he says he made a deep commitment to study it and more importantly, to follow it. And a good thing he did, and that we do, for the very next word is one of his suffering. "Afflicted" is what David shares without revealed what it was, but we know that it was something that made him think he was losing life and so he adds, "Give me life, O Lord, according to your word." He and we should know this should come from God and even in the midst of any affliction we can start our songs and words of praise.
We were at a funeral recently where one of the scripture readers approached the lectern with his phone and confessed he could not read the type and he added, that thankfully someone had printed out the text for him to read in large print. A smart phone today can link us to a Bible immediately through the internet or one can download apps that contain the Bible. But what has happened to carrying Bibles? More importantly, what has happened to studying the Bible? To find the lamp and light we must study the Bible. No one can just hear a phone ring and know what the message is from the caller. Yes, we have the ability to modify ringtones and know who is calling, but we don't always know what they are calling about. In the same way, we have our Bibles close at hand, but what is God calling us to do? We will never find out if we don't pray and reflect, read and pray, and then just listen to what God may be asking of us. Life led by a Bible is a brightly lit path; we dim the light when we choose to ignore what God has asked and we choose to do what we want. You and I have been blessed by new insights into life when we've spent time reading God's word. You and I have been blessed by messages from those who prayerfully study the word and bring us messages in worship. I have been blessed by missionaries whose lives were changed by picking up a Bible for the very first time. I will never forget a missionary from India speaking to our ministerial alliance and his saying that he had come to faith because he picked up a Bible and for the first time in his life he held what he called, "A talking book!" We've heard those who have also said, "I tried to read the Bible, but it read me!"
Feeling alone or afraid? Let God bless you. Feeling like you're walking in the dark with no direction or purpose? Let God bless you. Read the Bible. Facing a problem that seems bigger than you? Let God, who is bigger than any problem, bless you. Read the Bible. Facing challenges or discouragement? Let the Author of life, joy, peace, and comfort speak to you as you open the blessing that is the word of God for our lives.
PRAYER: Loving God, as we face the coming of today and all that it contains, ready our hearts and spirits in the knowledge that we walk not alone, nor in darkness, when we first turn to You and trust You. Help us dust off our Bibles so that You can dust off our lives and spirits. Make us be light for others through Christ living in us; this we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
