Psalm 119:105 “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
I never really think about flashlights until I need one, and then I am so grateful for them! Once in a while, our power goes out, usually when there is a strong storm. It’s not a problem in the daylight hours, but when night falls, my once familiar home becomes an obstacle course! Without electricity, I bump into the corner of chairs or tables, or I step on things I thoughtlessly left on the floor. After I have groped through a drawer, my searching fingers finally find the flashlight, and now I can see the right path to take through the house, avoiding the pitfalls of a misplaced shoe or pulled out chair.
The Bible is my spiritual flashlight. It has two primary jobs in this verse. The first is to be a lamp, and the second is to be a light. These have two very different purposes.
First, the lamp of Scripture illuminates my feet. Why is that necessary? I need to know several things about my feet. First, are they “shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace?” (Ephesians 6:15) Am I standing fast in the faith? (I Corinthians 16:13) Do I stand still and consider the wondrous works of God? (Job 37:14). Am I following Jesus or trying to take the lead? (Matthew 4:19) I need to know what my feet doing!
Secondly, Biblical light shows me the path upon which I should walk. Am I walking on the path that leadeth to destruction (Matthew 7:13), or am I following Jesus along the paths of righteousness? (Psalm 23:3) Have I chosen the pathway of the world, or have I chosen the way of the cross? Matthew 7:14 states “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” The light of God’s Word will show me the godly path upon which I should walk, and that path will one day lead me home to my Saviour in heaven.
Like the flashlight in my drawer, my Bible only works when I make a point of using it. If I run to find it only when I encounter turmoil in my life, I will be doing a lot of backtracking to return to the right path. To keep my feet pointed in the right direction and remain on the narrow path, my Bible needs to be continually “on,” illuminating my way through life on a daily basis, not just in times of storm.