Nov. 22 His Word a Light

November 22 - His Word a Light

I remember first hearing Amy Grant sing "Thy Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet." The discovery of those words in Scripture were amazing to me. Because that's the way I had always felt about the Bible and there was the verse that described what I was feeling.

Muslims feel about the Qur'an the way we feel about Jesus Christ. The words that were given to Muhammad over a period of 23 years by the angel Gabriel came directly from God. They weren't interpreted by man, or inspired by God, they were from God, just as we believe Jesus came directly from God. Muslims believe that Arabic is the heavenly language, so the only way to really understand the Qur'an is to speak it in that language. It's an amazing bit of faith. They are as committed to those words as we are to the knowledge that Jesus is the only way to the Father.

While there are some people that believe the Bible was given directly to men by God, that's not a prevalent belief within Christianity. We acknowledge that it is divinely inspired - God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17), but not inerrant and not spoken directly by God, unless we consider the words of Jesus and several other portions. God placed His blessing upon this book and I believe that it is composed of His words to us. I believe that through the centuries, God continues to ensure that it is correct and has worked through man to correct errors and assist us to understand it in the proper manner.

I also believe that God reveals Himself to us through this book.

"The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes." (Psalm 19:8)

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)

"The entrance of your words give light; it gives understanding to the simple." (Psalm 119:130)

"For these commands are a lamp; this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life." (Proverbs 6:23)

All of this makes sense as we read Peter's words: "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." (2 Peter 1:19)

God's revelation of Himself through the Bible, through His words are a light that makes it able for us to see in the darkness that surrounds us.

When I get to the cabin in the middle of the night, there is never a light shining for me to find my way. I rely on my headlights to get down the lane and ensure that I arrive at the front door without incident. The first thing I do is flip on the outside light. If I come back in the dark another day, that light is on. It's warm, welcoming and shines through the black night that fills the area.

God, through scripture, fills the night with light. It's a safe place to be when darkness surrounds us.