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| E-Devotional
Belief “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your wonderful laws . . . Lord, accept my grateful thanks and teach me your law. My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your law. . . Your decrees are my treasure; they are truly my heart’s delight. I am determined to keep your principles, even forever, to the very end.” (Psalm 119: 105-109, 111-112). One look at the terrain of the land of Palestine and one can imagine how difficult it was to traverse the land at night. When a person traveled at night he literally attached a candleholder to his sandals. The light from the candle would illuminate a small area of his path. Yet, with this limited amount of light, that person was able to take one step at a time with the assurance that he would not stumble or fall. When the Psalmist writes, “your word is a lamp unto my feet,” the reader, or listener, can visualize God’s word as sufficient to help him to take that next step. The Word was not intended to illuminate a person’s entire life, but only that one next step. The guarantee was that if that person adhered to God’s word, one step at time, that person would not stumble. Marion Wade, founder of ServiceMaster was known for saying: “If you do not live it, you do not believe it.” This saying has a direct correlation to our behavior in the work place as well as outside the work place. We consistently tell people what we believe yet our actions are short of a clear manifestation of those beliefs. For us who call ourselves Christians, we seem to easily separate our faith from our daily behavior. We go to Church most of the time; yes, sometimes we even attend Bible studies. And, when things are going wonderfully well, we shine as exemplary citizens. But, when times become difficult, when our jobs do not seem to be all that we want them to be, when affliction settles in, or when our children go astray, we quickly shelve our faith and take matters into our own hands. Most of the time this only makes matters worse. Your word is a lamp unto my feet. If we grasp the principle this verse provides and cling to God’s revealed word as a basis for our next decision today—not tomorrow, not next year—then we can take that step with firmness and conviction believing that God’s Word will not fail us. When we walk as His Word directs us, our lives will clearly demonstrate what we truly believe. Then, and only then, the world will be able to say, “that person truly lives what he/she believes.” Our lives must be a clear reflection of what we believe. (Prayer) “Lord, allow me to walk one step at a time with you. And allow that walk to be a witness of what I believe.” Meditation:
Is God’s Word a light unto your feet?
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