GOD’S WORD ILLUMINATES OUR SPIRITUAL PATH
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Darkness surrounds you as you navigate your way through the forest. Without a light, you know you would be lost. Yet your flashlight lights up the path ahead. Any obstacles are illuminated before they cause you to stumble. You detect rocks and logs to climb over… muddy patches to step around… steep areas to negotiate… tree roots to avoid… holes to miss along the way.
Do we have a light to navigate our way through life? God has given us His Word. His Word is the light in our lives as we navigate through the “dark forest” of this world. It is the revelation of the mind and will of God that shines light in our darkness…. illuminates our way before us… and guides us back to His path when we go astray.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105
Along God’s path for us, we may encounter rocks or fallen logs that cause our way to seem impassable. These are the troubles and trials that come our way. Perhaps we try to contend with them on our own… to use our own strength to deal with them… to wrestle them out of our way. We become weary and overwhelmed. Our hope begins to fade.
† When we encounter trials in our lives, we find in Scripture the comfort, guidance and hope to see us through. Its light illuminates verses that perhaps we have not noticed before… new revelations from our Lord for a path around the rocks and logs. As we read, meditate on and speak aloud these verses, we find courage and strength in our trials. We are reminded of the One who is forever with us on our journey.
We may happen upon patches of mud as we travel God’s path. These are the evils and temptations we face as we navigate life. If we are not careful, and without our light to show us the way, we can become mired in the sins of the world. We find ourselves coated with worldly mud and wonder how we can become clean again.
† When we happen upon worldly temptations, we can look to God’s Word to help us overcome. The light of Scripture teaches us the right and wrong ways to live. It reveals life from God’s perspective rather that our earthly view… helping us find our way back to Him for forgiveness and cleansing from our sins. We discover how to tap into His power within us to avoid sin in our lives.
We may face steep areas of the trail that loom before us. These are the worries and concerns of life that cause us to doubt God’s loving care. The slopes are sheer and treacherous. We may try to navigate our way alone on the narrow path. Yet one wrong step could send us tumbling down the slippery slope.
† When we face circumstances on our spiritual walk that cause us worry and fear, we can look to the comforting light of God’s Word. We meet in the pages of Scripture a God we can trust absolutely. He is our Protector… the One who is Faithful and True… who will never forsake us. He will guide us along the narrow path to safety.
“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5
We may come upon tree roots on the trail that can cause us to stumble. These are the false teachings and values that the world embraces. Without our light to shine through the darkness on the path ahead, we can miscalculate the way and become caught in these entrapping roots.
† When we come upon the false beliefs so prevalent in our world, we look to Scripture for our light of truth. The deeper our understanding of God’s Word, the less likely we will be waylaid by false teachings and false teachers. We learn to live God’s kingdom values and not become entangled in worldly untruths.
We may meet upon uneven terrain along the trail where hollows and snake holes catch us unaware. These are the deceptions of the enemy that come unexpectedly along on our path. He desires that we catch our feet and get tripped up in the darkness . His goal is for us to stumble and fall away from the path.
† When we meet upon the lies and deceits of the enemy that he places in our spiritual path, we remember our Savior. Jesus triumphed over the enemy using the words of Scripture. As we speak God’s Word, His light shines forth in the darkness. As we resist the enemy, he will flee from us.
“In Your light we see light.” – Psalm 36:9
Our spiritual path takes us through the “dark forest” of the world. The way twists and turns before us with unexpected hazards, challenging terrain and dangerous obstacles. Yet with the light of Scripture, our way becomes clear before us. Our steps become steady and sure. The light of God’s Word shines brightly upon our path ahead and guides us safely on our journey.
