lantern light

Old-fashioned lanterns were quite simple: a portable flame burning from a covered dish. To keep one alight you probably needed a supply of oil, a taper, and a flint for sparking.

Right in the middle of Psalm 119, the psalmist says this:

“Your word is a lamp for my feet,

    a light on my path.” - Psalm 119:105

The picture is that God’s word illuminates our steps. Probably only a couple of steps at a time. We carry the oil of the Holy Spirit, apply it to the words that God shows us, and He helps us walk step-by-step through the darkness.

It’s a great picture! After all, there are lots of pitfalls in life, lurking right out there in the dark! When we start to apply the Spirit through the Word, they become much clearer.

Wouldn’t it be great if the Bible had some great advice about things like anxiety, about marriage, about parenting; about how to know when to speak and when not to, about managing your money well, about looking after the vulnerable, about working hard, or loving people and loving God? Well guess what? It does! In fact, it’s truly excellent at illuminating the heart of God for all our journeys. Why wouldn’t it be? He wrote it for you.

So today, let’s let a little lantern light in. Ask God what he wants to show you, and trust Him to illuminate your path.