“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
God’s Word is represented as a lamp for the feet.
It is a “lamp” — not a blazing sun, nor even a lighthouse — but a plain, common lamp or lantern which one can carry about in the hand.
It is a lamp “Unto my feet,” not throwing its beams afar, not illumining a hemisphere — but shining only on the one little bit of road on which the pilgrim’s feet are walking.
The law of divine guidance is step by step. One who carries a lantern on a country-road at night, sees only one step before him. If he takes that step, he carries his lantern forward, and thus makes another step plain. At length he reaches his destination in safety, without once stepping into darkness. The whole way has been made light for him, though only a single step of it at a time. This illustrates the usual method of God’s guidance.
If this is the way God guides, it ought never to be hard for us to find our duty. It never lies far away, inaccessible to us — but is always near. It never lies out of our sight, in the darkness, for God never puts our duty where we cannot see it. The thing that we think may be our duty — but which is still lying in obscurity and uncertainty, is not our duty yet, whatever it may be a little farther on. The duty for the very moment is always clear — and that is as far as we need concern ourselves; for when we do the little that is clear, we will carry the light on, and it will shine on the next moment’s step.
Jesus said, “He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness.” Prompt, unquestioning, undoubting following of Christ — takes all the perplexity out of Christian life and gives unbroken peace. There never is a moment without its duty; and if we are living near to Christ and following Him closely, we shall never be left in ignorance of what He wants us to do.
Our daily prayer should be, “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” Psalm 119:133
J.R. Miller was a pastor and former editorial superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication from 1880 to 1911. His works are now in the public domain.
