Thy Word - Lamp and Light

Do you remember a time you experienced a power outage? Do you recall the utter relief you felt when electricity was restored? Yes! I know the feeling. We tend to be more productive when we have access to light. In Genesis 1, after God created the heaven and the earth, He described the earth as, formless, void and dark. “1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters,” Genesis 1:1-2. One of the first things God addressed according to scripture was the darkness. Genesis 1:3-4 records, “3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” Today, sin has led to several forms of darkness and deception on earth. Men, through disobedience, have neglected the truth of God and have yielded to sinful lifestyles. The Bible states in John 3:19-21 “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” The Word of God is our compass and standard of truth. In a world where there is an active and radical attempt to distort truth, the believer must feed on the Word and remain sensitive to the leading of God. We cannot afford to live based on popular beliefs, trends or traditions that are contrary to the Word. We are called to live in light. Psalm 119:130 declares “the entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”  We cannot truly live by the Word of God and live a sinful lifestyle, His Word convicts, corrects, transforms and provides guidance in our daily walk. I couldn’t shake the theme, Thy Word: Lamp and Light. It is critical that we hold fast to the Word of God as we go through life. How else will we know the truth and live it?

The Word as a Guide

We live in a fast-paced world with busy schedules and urgent deadlines. With all the noise, sometimes we forget just how important it is to pause and read the Word. Have you ever been at a place where you gave your all to personal matters, family, ministry, friends, business or your job and as soon as you picked up the Bible, you were overcome with sleep? I believe most, if not all of us have experienced this. It is important that we nurture our relationships and attend to our responsibilities. However, this should not be done at the expense of our soul. 3 John 2:3 states “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” We must prioritise the Word. When we do not spend time in the presence of the Lord and read His Word, our souls are at risk. We become vulnerable to the lies of the enemy, are easily deceived and swayed by false doctrines. The Word of God is given to us as a lamp, to guide our daily lives. Have you tried searching for an important document in the dark? Challenging, right? Turn on the light and try finding that document. Easier, right? As a lamp illuminates darkness, so does the Word illuminate our lives. Psalm 119:105 declares “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” This guidance is essential to keep us focused on the Lord, live righteously, and to open our eyes to pitfalls planted by the adversary. The Word of God gives hope, He assures us that we do not need to fear darkness, nor do we need to walk the path of life alone. JESUS is our PRESENT HELP. One morning as I woke, the first thing I heard was “my way is enlightened; my path is clear.” The Lord assured me with those words as soon as my eyes opened. What a God! He is the One who enlightens our way and clears our path. What a consolation we have, that though terrors exist, we should not fear. Psalm 91:4-6 “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.” He is the good Shepherd; He cares about all of us. He values us, and pursues us with His love regardless of our past or present. He has come for all, to give light and bring transformation from a sinful life, to a life that pleases Him. 

The Word as a Way of Life

The Word of God is the believer’s way of life. As we live daily, we will be met with choices. The choice between good and evil, righteousness and unrighteousness, truth and lie, honesty and dishonesty etc. Researchers state that the average adult makes approximately 35,000 choices daily. Personally, this is an eye-opening number, I am astonished actually. As humans, we do not have the capacity to make godly choices in our own strength. We need the Word of God and the help of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 4:4 declares, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” By this, we can boldly say, our spirit cannot prosper without the Word just as our physical bodies cannot prosper without food. We live by the Word of God. This is what lights our path and brings wisdom and understanding. This is how we are able to discern and know truth. This is how we know when we are straying from the way of the Lord. This is how we measure the quality of our lives. Not by money, status, connections or social media. The Word is our standard. The Word empowers, strengthens, convicts and corrects us. 2 Timothy 3:16 declares “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” When we encounter the light of the Word, sin cannot comfortably remain in our lives. The Holy Spirit convicts us through the Word and opens our hearts to His truth. The psalmist sates in Psalm 119: 11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” This is a commitment to intimately carry the Word of God in order to keep His precepts. It is an active effort to live righteously and reject sin. The Word of God is our lamp and light, let us read the Word and live by the Word.