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Thy word is a lamp
Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
Have the lights in your home ever gone out, perhaps during a storm?
In the darkness, you might panic for a moment, but in a few moments, your eyes will adjust to the dark, and you may be able to see a little better.
This situation is similar to this verse in Psalms.
Without God and His Word, we are spiritually walking in the dark. We can only see a step or two ahead of us.
When we come to trust in Jesus and follow in His footsteps, our path becomes clearer. From the scriptures, he teaches us how best not only to live but also to treat others.
When we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He transforms us and makes His home within our hearts. As a result, we can see things never seen before as revealed solely by His guidance, which will lead us to our best journey in this life.
The world seems brighter and clearer when you open yourself up to him.
Thy Word is a Lamp Getting Deeper
When we read the Bible, God’s word is alive inside us. We feel safe and directed because it guides our way out of spiritual darkness into light.
We are like a lighthouse to those left in the darkness and offer hope as a beacon of light amidst their storm. The Bible is ultimately a book about finding your way to God. But first, we must put down our flashlight and allow the Father’s light from above to shine brighter than what we’ve known before so that when He reveals Himself in His grace, all may see how beautiful life can be with Him as opposed to those who wander aimlessly in the darkness.
In Psalm 119, the psalmist celebrates and extols the value of God’s word in this acrostic poem. The Psalm begins with a dedication to singing His praise and ends by encouraging us all to depend on Him for our every need trustingly.
In verse 105, the psalmist declares to the Lord, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (ESV). Just as a lamp shines to guide our steps, God’s Word illuminates and guides the way for us in this world.
The word “lamp” in Hebrew is ner. It was a small clay lantern with a single wick in biblical times. So the Word of God is a lamp that shines on our path to guide us and keep us from stumbling off course. The light of God’s word allows us to see our way through life on earth.
We find a similar thought in Proverbs 6:23. The guidance referred to by the biblical writers is not only sound advice but also rock-solid truth for navigating difficult moral choices in this fallen world.
For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
Proverbs 6:23 (ESV)
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
Worldly voices claim that there are many paths to God, not one truth. These same people say it is okay not to be absolutely 100% convinced by any religion or philosophy and to “Just do what feels right” for yourself! Following the voices in our heads rather than relying on God’s guidance can lead us down a slippery slope that ends with grief and ruin.
Only God’s Word provides the guidance and direction we need. In 2 Peter 1:19, we also see His Word as a reliable lamp shining in a dark place.
And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,
2 Peter 1:19 (ESV)
The apostle Paul wrote to his young told his young protégé, Timothy:
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)
God’s word is a lamp to our feet and light in the darkness. Therefore, to succeed, we must study it frequently and give full attention when studying so that its direction can help us perform God’s work successfully.
Obeying God’s Word brings blessings and rewards:
Blessed is the man
Psalm 1:1-3 (ESV)
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
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saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.”
Exodus 15:26 (ESV)
On his deathbed, King David told his son Solomon,
and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,
1 Kings 2:3 ( ESV)
God’s Word has incredible power.:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
The Word of God is alive because He is a living God.
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
Hebrews 3:12 (ESV)
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
2 Corinthians 6:16 (ESV)
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
His words are power-packed with energy, life, and productivity—they cause things to happen.
Psalm 33:9 (ESV)
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
God’s Word will be active in our lives if we allow it. And not only that but trusting the words of God and letting them work in your life will help you to walk in God’s plan for you.
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
Isaiah 55:11 (ESV)
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
For this reason, we study it (2 Timothy 2:15), meditate on it (Psalm 119:97), hold firmly to it (Philippians 2:16), and hide it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11).
Christians can say that God’s word is a lamp unto their feet and lights up the path because it provides illumination, insight, and direction.
It is difficult to see the way of walking through the darkness. You feel exposed and unprotected without a light guiding your steps. We need to remember Psalm 119:105 “Thy Word is a lamp…”
Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
Psalm 112:4 (ESV)
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
Yet, God calls us to follow the path he lays before us. Often, he will only illuminate one step at a time, lighting our way with a small lamp.
For you are my lamp, O Lord,
2 Samuel 22:29 (ESV)
and my God lightens my darkness.
He invites us to trust him, even when the path is unclear, and we cannot see ahead. Keep your eyes fixed on God, and take a single step.
A Final Word on “Thy Word is a Lamp”
Small children are often afraid of the dark. I understand their reluctance to step into a dark room. They aren’t sure what lies ahead.
I believe that we often treat our lives in the same way. However, we are reluctant to treat our life in the same way. This is because we are uncertain about leaving the safety of what is known.
God calls us to follow him, firmly fixing our eyes on Jesus and trusting that he will lead the way.
Let your eyes look directly forward,
Proverbs 4:25-26 (ESV)
and your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
The form you have selected does not exist.
Does darkness surround you? Are you unsure where to step or if you should take a step at all? Not sure if you’re ready to venture beyond what is known?
While we’d all love a big shining light to show the way, God only promised us a lamp, a small light. He shows us just enough to take a step but requires that we trust him completely with the rest of our path. He asks that we trust him and not question where he’s taking us because in his hands is the answer to every twist and turn along our journey.
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 (ESV)
God is calling you to take a step of faith. Will it be easy? No, but with His guidance and love on this journey, we will know He is with us, and His Word is a lamp unto our feet!!
Your word is a lamp to my feet
Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105 is a beautiful reminder of the importance of God’s Word in our lives. When we take the time to read and study His Word, it becomes a lamp to our feet, guiding us through this life. It also helps us trust Him more as we walk into the future, knowing He will guide us with His light. Are you in His Word every day? If not, commit today to start reading and studying Scripture regularly. As you do, ask God to show you where He wants you to go next. Then, be ready to take the next step in faith, trusting that He will lead you down the best path for you.
ESV – “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”