MY LAMP & MY LIGHT
Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
The 119 Psalm is unique in several ways. Without going into lengthy detail, it is simply divided into 22 parts, with each part containing 8 verses for a total of 176 verses. If there is a common thread in this Psalm, it is contained in the first 8-verse part. It refers to the blessed as those that walk in the law (Vs. 1), keep His testimonies (Vs. 2), walk in His ways (Vs. 3), keep His precepts (Vs. 4), keep His statutes (Vs. 5), respect His commandments (Vs. 6), learn His righteous judgments (Vs. 7).
The lesson text refers to God's word. What is God's word? As noted above, it is His law, testimonies, ways, precepts, statutes, commandments and judgments. The lesson text is the first verse of the 14th division of this Psalm. The Psalmist confessed that life on earth is filled with afflictions and snares. Life's pathways are strewn with wickedness and evil. Colossians 1:13 describes Satan's dominion as the power of darkness. Our lesson text tells us that God's word is the lamp and light that guides believers through the darkness that we must walk through as we journey through life.
Have you ever been home when the lights went out due to a storm or some other cause? Did you grope through the house searching for the place where the candles are kept for such an emergency as this? Before finding the candles and matches to light it, did you run into furniture, step on the cat, bark your shins on the coffee table? Its occasions like this that we realize how much we need a source of light to guide our way.
Maybe a better analogy is this. Have you ever taken a guided tour through a cave? Inevitably, the guide will get your tour group in a certain "room" of the cave and turn out all lights just to let you experience true darkness. If there is anything darker than dark, it is cave darkness. Can you imagine trying to find your way out of a deep cavern without a source of light? Can you imagine being stranded on a remote road in the dark of night due to automobile failure and without a flashlight?
In this life, we are often faced with situations involving natural darkness and having no light or having light that is insufficient. However, there is another darkness we face in life - spiritual darkness. Not only do we need flashlights, candles, light bulbs, the sun, etc., to guide us through natural darkness, we also need light to guide us through spiritual darkness. The lesson text says that lamp and light needed in spiritual darkness is God's word. The Psalmist wrote, O send out thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles (Psalm 43:3). The Psalmist is not concerned with natural light to lead him, but with the spiritual light found in the truths of God's word.
God said through the prophecy of Isaiah that He would give a light to guide the world, including the Gentile nations (Isaiah 42:5-9). Simeon, a just and devout man of Jerusalem, recognized this Light as the infant Jesus that would be a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel (Luke 2:32). Jesus confirmed these prophesies when He said I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life (John 8:12).
Are you walking in the light of God through His Son Jesus Christ? There are many people throughout the world, even whole nations that are walking in spiritual darkness. This is evident in their conduct and the total lack of God's light in their lives. There are many that have recognized the need of God's light to guide their spiritual lives. However, there are also some that think they are walking in the light of God but are still in spiritual darkness. John tells us about these two groups. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not wither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes (I John 2:10-11).
Whoever has the abundant goods of this world and refuses to share them with those in need is walking in spiritual darkness (see 1 John 3:11-24). Can you truly say that God's wordis alamp unto my feet and a light unto my path? Are you walking in God's light? Are you demonstrating it through brotherly kindness? Can you truly say that God's Holy Word is my lamp and my light?