105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
Hopefully yesterday, as you drank in the glory of creation, the voice of God became a little more “audible” than it might have been previously.
Today we’re going to consider another among the sources of grace and truth God uses to reveal Himself to humanity. Actually, this source is understood to be the most authoritative, in that it has been preserved throughout history precisely for the purpose of relaying all that we need to know to live in right relationship with our Creator.
The Bible is commonly referred to as “special revelation,” meaning its content is more explicit than general revelation of creation. In fact, with the Bible in hand, we can better understand the messages we receive from what we can see and hear among the heavens and the earth.
Think of the Bible as your interpreter, translating the true meaning of all that matters in this life and the next.
Not only that, and most importantly, the Bible clearly points to God’s redemptive plan, accomplished through the person of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament anticipates His arrival, and the New Testament verifies the fulfilment of God’s promises in Him.
There are few better places to read about the Bible’s intention and value than Psalm 119.
The writer summarizes his grasp of Scripture’s significance in verse 105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). He undoubtedly viewed God’s Word as an immense gift given with the greatest of care and affection, not as an impersonal checklist to be reviewed and completed by dutiful employees.
In much shorter fashion than the psalmist, the Apostle Paul ascribes the same significance to Scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16,17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Reflect: Is the Bible primarily a list of do’s and don’ts for you? Or is it the very voice of your loving Heavenly Father, offering life-giving instruction and encouragement; light for your path through this dark, sin-wrecked world?