I was driving on the Interstate freeway one night last week. I was so far from any town or city that the surrounding area was pitch black. Just imagine for some reason that I was driving without headlights. This means the safest thing to do would be to pull over and stop driving. Electric lights were only invented in the early 19th century, so it was unsafe to travel at night before that time. People at that time must use a lantern to illuminate their path to enable them to walk at night even though their vision would still be limited.
The psalmist says: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalms 119:105 NIV). We are living in an age of rebellion, wickedness, and darkness. We need God’s word to prompt and guide us in our life journey, thus traveling in the right direction without stumbling. God’s word indeed is like lantern to the feet and “headlight” to the road especially in the hours of darkness.
Brothers, sisters, and friends, please think for a moment. When we find ourselves lost in life, who can really help us find the right direction? When our spiritual life has lost its vitality, do we believe that the word of God is the light before our feet? When we are stranded in the wilderness far from the city lights, aren’t we concern about the dangers hidden in the dark? When the Lord Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, the listeners from the rural communities were made aware of the danger of darkness in the world. They themselves had to become the shinning beacons to help others to find their sense of direction in our Lord, similar to the bright landmark of a glowing city in the
distance would guide a traveler.
Jesus calls his followers to be the light of the world and the shining city on the mountain. Matthew 5:14 says, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” There is another fact that we should remember: in an increasingly dark age, our light will become brighter in contrast. May God keep and help us, Amen!