Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105 KJV
The word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. This could be in three forms; God’s commanding word as is seen in scripture, God’s instructional word per time, and God’s word as in Jesus Christ. Today’s blog post aims to explain the three concepts so that when next we hear or read this bible verse, it will come with an in-depth understanding of what it means.
God’s commanding word
The reason why many believers still act as though they are yet to be saved is because they have not understood God’s commanding word. The Word of God is primarily a book containing God’s commands to believers. A soldier is compelled to follow the orders of his superior. So it is for believers who belong to the Lord’s army. Some things are just not optional or up for debate. It’s either you take it or leave it…and leaving it means you no longer identify with the faith. When God gave Moses those ten commandments, it was a command that everyone enlisted in the army of God, that is, everyone claiming to be on the Lord’s side had to follow. (Exo. 19-20)
For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life,
Proverbs 6:23 BSB
The good thing about God’s commandments is that they’re never irrational. If you look closely, they’re there to guide us. If everyone in the world followed God’s commandment not to kill or covet what isn’t theirs or commit adultery, don’t you think the world would be a much better place? The darkness that many believers and people generally walk in may be because they have refused God’s word. They have rejected God’s commands which guide one’s day-to-day activities, principles, and general mindset. All that’s left is a trial-and-error way of life.
In verse 11 of Psalm 119, the Psalmist says he has hidden God’s word in his heart so that he will not sin. Then, we read further to verse 105, where he says God’s word is a lamp to his feet and a light unto his path. Are you getting the picture yet?
Believers lose direction and fall into sin because they lack the word God. Let the word of God dwell in your heart so that you will have the light you need to walk upright in the command of the Lord.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:11 KJV
God’s instructional word
Permit me to dwell here a little longer.
This is similar to God’s commanding word only that it is time-dependent. It is a commandment for a certain period. This means that even if the action is good, it may not be what is required at that moment.
Imagine you were walking in the dark on a night when rain fell. There’s a shallow ditch that’s filled with water. With light, you would know about the ditch and try your best to avoid it. But what if there was a plank placed across that ditch and on another side, some couple of stones arranged from the beginning to the end of the ditch? Now you’re confused about which option is best. This is where God’s instructional word comes in.
The scripture says there is a way that seems right to a man but the end thereof is destruction (Pro. 14:12). In that moment the problem is not that you don’t know where to go or what path to follow but that you don’t know how to follow it. God’s word could instruct you to use the stones instead of the plank because the plank isn’t so firm. His word doesn’t just light your whole path, it also lights your feet, guiding you on what step to take per time. Let’s check out some biblical examples.
Recall the first time Peter met with Jesus. We all know how the story goes. Peter fished all night, caught nothing, Jesus comes into the scene, asks to use Peter’s boat, and then tells Peter to cast his net, Peter obediently does so, and voila, a mighty catch (Lk. 5:1-11). Great story with so many lessons to draw from it. But today I want to focus on the part where Pater casts his net.
I recently began to wonder what if Peter had stalled a little bit more after that instruction. Or what if he didn’t cast his net at all? Peter would not have experienced that miraculous catch and most likely wouldn’t even become a disciple. But Peter took God’s instructional word. He had toiled in the dark (literally and figuratively) until the instructional word of God for that moment came.
Perhaps the solution to your confusion is God’s instruction. Maybe all you need to see with clarity is just God’s word.
My second example is Abraham. Whenever you hear Abraham you most likely think of him as the forefather of believers, a channel of blessings to the whole world, or you think of Isaac. But did you know that the (almost) sacrifice of Isaac was not Abraham’s first step of faith? Did you know that it was this first-ever step of faith that made him the father of nations that we revere him as? In Genesis 12: 1, God gave Abraham instruction to leave his hometown and all he was familiar with to head for a land that He (God) would show him.
Break in transmission
If God’s instructional word is about clarity and direction, why does it seem like this instruction is coming along with confusion? Here’s the answer; light is comforting. Sometimes, just the presence of light is enough.
I live in a country where the power supply can be unstable and on days when it fails, just hearing the siren signaling power has been restored calms me more than a cold bath.
Aaand we’re back
Who knows what kind of life Abraham lived before that instruction came? Who knows what type of darkness he had been walking in? But when the instruction came, Abraham received it with faith and took each step, lighted by God’s word; “a land that I will show you”. He was not wandering aimlessly, he was walking as God led. Eventually, this step of faith rewarded him with the blessings that we all know of. (If you don’t know, try to do more Bible study).
If you’re walking in the dark, each step you take could be potentially dangerous but when light is present, you walk comfortably and confidently. Through God’s instructions per time, our path is always lit and our feet are always guided.
Send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me. Let them bring me to Your holy mountain and to the place where You dwell.
Psalm 43:3 BSB
God’s word as in Jesus
We can receive light from The Word. In case you’re not aware, Jesus is the Word of God (Jn. 1:14; Rev, 19:3).
“In Him was life and the life was the light of men” (Jn. 1:4). When Jesus was born to earth, stars lit in the sky to guide some wise men to Him. His life gave light to some “lost” men. But more importantly, when He gave up Himself, He snatched us from darkness and let His light shine on us (Matt. 4:12;16). His life moved us from darkness into light (Eph. 5:8). Jesus is that Word that lights our path. Without Him, we would have been groping around in the dark, at risk of danger and sure to stumble. However, Jesus is our light, guiding us every step of the way.
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.
Matthew 8:12 BSB
Faith+blog 