GOD’S WORD ILLUMINATES OUR SPIRITUAL PATH
____________________________________________________________
In the darkness, you navigate your way through the forest. Without a light, you know you would be lost. Yet your flashlight illuminates the path ahead. You see any obstacles before they hinder your progress or cause you to stumble… 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 when we go astray.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105
We meet upon rocks or fallen logs in our path that make our way 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 push them out of our way. We become weary and overwhelmed as our hope begins to fade.
When we meet upon trials in our lives, we find in Scripture the comfort, guidance and hope to see us through. Its light illuminates verses that perhaps we hadn’t noticed before… new revelations from God… 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 our God who is forever with us on our journey.
We happen upon patches of mud along our path. This is the evil we face as we navigate life. If we’re not careful, and without our light to show the way, we can step in and become enmired in the sins of the world. We find ourselves coated with 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. We find in Him forgiveness and cleansing from our sins… and learn of His power within us to avoid sin in our lives.
We 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 on the narrow path alone. 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 look to the 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 chance 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 entangled in the roots.
When we chance 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 fall for false teachings and those who teach them. We learn to live God’s kingdom values and not become entangled in worldly untruths.
We encounter uneven terrain with hollows and snake holes along the trail. These are the deceptions of the enemy that come along unexpectedly on our path. He desires that, in the darkness, we catch our feet and get tripped up. His goal is for us to stumble and fall away from the path.
When we encounter 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, we resist the enemy and he will flee from us.
“In Your light we see light.” – Psalm 36:9
Our spiritual path takes us through the “forest” of evil and temptations in the world. The way twists and turns before us with unexpected and dangerous obstacles. We may wonder how we will navigate our way. Yet with the light of Scripture, our way becomes clear before us. Our steps are steady and sure. The light of God’s Word shines brightly upon the path ahead and guides us safely on our journey.
