In Psalm 119:105, the psalmist declares that the word of God is a lamp unto his feet and a light on his path. In this metaphor he declares that God’s word keeps him from stumbling because it illuminates any path that his life might take. The word allows him to see the pot holes, the twists, the turns, and perhaps even the beasts that lurk, and prowl, and wait in the shadows beyond the edges of a path that winds through a dark and treacherous world (1 Peter 5:8). Similarly, David begins Psalm 27 with the confident declaration that the Lord himself is his light and his salvation. David goes on to proclaim that those who would do him evil stumble and fall instead of devouring him (Psalm 27:1-2). The implication is clear. Evil doers do not have a lamp for their feet or a light for their path, and they stumble and fall as they try to assail those who are able to see the approaching dangers with the light that God has given them.
John argues that Jesus himself is both the word and the light. He stressed that the light of Jesus illuminates the world of men, and that the darkness of the world cannot overcome it (John 1:1-18). Christ himself acknowledged this truth when he proclaimed that he was the light of the world and that whoever followed him would have the light of life (John 8:12). But even more amazing than that is how Jesus teaches that those of us who follow him are a light on a hill, or a lamp in a dark room, and that we have the ability to illuminate the world for the people around us. Like Jesus, we have the potential to glorify God with the light he’s given us (Matthew 5:14-16).
The 20th century writer and scholar, C.S. Lewis touched eloquently on this very concept when he once claimed that he believed in Christianity in the same way that he believed in the rising sun – not because he could see the sun, but because by it he could see everything else.
When you have the light of Jesus, you have the confidence of David in Psalm 27. You can see your enemies and not fear. You can see the path and where God is leading you step by step, so that your faith is confirmed at each bend in the road. You can even have confidence when an enemy army encamps right next to you (Psalm 27:3). This is because you have the prophetic light of the word, and you know who will ultimately win the battle (2 Peter 1:19).
So use the light that God has given you to see into the darkness around you, and then be the light for others to see as they search for the same path that you have been shown.
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