Stepping In The Light

Scripture

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

~Psalm 119:105, NLT

Quote

There are two paths in life–one is right and the other is wrong: God’s word is the light that helps us find the right path.

~Ya-akov

Practically everyone has committed Psalm 119:105 to memory. It is closely akin to 119:11,  I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I learned both in VBS when I was growing up. Jesus taught us that life is a path but there are two paths which means we have to make a choice of which path to take. According to Jesus, there is a broad path with no fences. It is the popular path, the one the great majority takes. It is the broad path and there is no difficulty in finding it, all you have to do is follow the crowd but it is the wrong path and it leads to destruction. The second path is narrow, harder to find and requires some struggle to squeeze through the narrow gate that leads to the path. It is the right path but it requires self denial and only a few choose this path. Since the whole world is lost in the darkness of sin, we need light to find the path. Thank God we have a light: God’s word is a lamp, a light that enables us to find the path.

Some ten or twelve years ago, I got up early one morning and headed to the WALLS OF JERICHO near Skyline, Alabama. I arrived just after daylight. I had enough light to see the path but unfortunately for me, I did not read all the instructions on the map at the entrance of the park. There is more than one path to the wall. They have one for hikers, one for UTV’s and one for horses. At places, they cross or at least get very close together. Each one was marked by paint on a tree. I think the hikers trail was marked in red. I began on the hikers trail but at the bottom of the mountain, I came across a trail that looked more appealing. It was either the horse or the UTV, I don’t know which but I took it. PROBLEM: it came to a creek and I did not want to wade the creek. Had I stayed on the right trail there would have been a bridge. As I looked around, I saw another trail. I think it was marked in blue, so I took it and little did I know that I was moving farther and farther away from the Walls of Jericho. This trail led to cliff overlooking the creek. My only option was to go back, all the way back to the original trail. I had been hiking for a couple of hours and I had no water and no snacks. I was in a deep ravine and I decided to follow my own sense of direction instead of the marked trail. For the next two hours, I am working my way through the forest, headed for my vehicle at the top of the mountain. Finally, I hear the sound of a big truck and so I know there is a highway up above. I scale this mountain and it was so steep that I literally had to get on my all fours at times, grabbing trees and roots as I pulled myself up this slope. Finally, I reach the top but there is a problem, I was half-way to Winchester, Tennessee. Seriously, I had to walk five miles to get to my car. Of course walking down the highway was much easier than hiking in the woods but by the time I got to my Honda, I was exhausted.

People like me need more than instructions or a marked trail, we need a guide. Thank God we have a Guide in Jesus. He is not only the way, He is our Guide. All we have to do is follow Him.

  • Joe David and Lori landed in Michigan last night about 10:00 pm.
  • Great crowd at the STEW. I was blown away. I bet we had 50 kids, maybe more and the youth always turn out. I know Mandy must have been tired after being at work all day but she is young and has more stamina than your truly. I had to go home about 6:45 and take some Advil, my back was killing me and so was my knee. I am going to give you young people some advice: don’t jog or run for exercise, especially if you have any extra weight or run on your heels. If you can run on your toes, disregard what I am saying. I ran hundreds of miles and it has taken it toll. I have a bad back and one bad knee. Ride a bike or swim. 
  • I want to thank Noah Hogan for his help last night and for getting a crew to put up the chairs and tables. I also want to thank Floyd for serving.

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