In Psalm 119:105, there are two comparisons in the verse. The first comparison is lamp vs light, and the second comparison is feet vs path.
God’s word is both a lamp and a light. God’s word is a lamp, a focused source of light, that helps us take the current step. We can only see so much with a lamp, but we see all we need to see with it. A lamp is an essential tool we need for our day-to-day walk with God. We can only take the steps we need when we spend time with God in the Word. The more time we spend, the better our lamplight and the more precise and effective our steps.
God’s word is also a light that sees into the future for us and guides us to that destination. While the lamp is focused. The light in the second part of the verse is broad. This light sees the whole picture from beginning to end, from earth to heaven, from here to eternity. It’s the light that lets us know that end the end, everything will be okay if we remained focused on God’s light.
God’s Word guides both our feet and our path. We all are headed somewhere. As believers, we all are headed in the same direction, but each of us has different paths to get there. We must walk our individual paths step by step. This is where our feet come in.
Did you know that your footprints are just as unique as your fingerprints? According to Science Focus magazine, “the whorls and ridges that make up a footprint develop uniquely in each person and are not genetically determined.” What does this have to do with today’s text? Everything.
Sometimes, we miss our journey because we are focused on other people’s journeys. We can’t walk another person’s journey. We shouldn’t waste time envying other people’s feet. Like our footprints, everyone has different steps than ours. We can’t arrive at our destination while being preoccupied with checking out other people’s feet.
Sometimes, we miss our journey because we are preoccupied with the final destination. When we only focus on the destination, we may be tempted to speed things up or try to skip steps. When we do this, we often miss the lessons and blessings. It’s like going on vacation and missing out on the joy of vacation by being focused on seeing everything instead of enjoying the most important things. We focus on taking as many photos as possible, but we never look beyond the lens to see the wonderful pictures before us. Remember, we can walk along the beach and enjoy the sunset and still make it to our destination in God’s perfect time.
The path is a journey with a destination set by God. The path is a distant future that can only be followed step by step. Our feet can only move so fast. Our feet can only move in the right direction when they are guided by God. This is what trust and faith in God are all about. This is where God’s grace comes in. When we walk in God’s grace, we are assured of two things – we will take the right steps and we will walk in the right direction.
Prompt for Thought: Where do you need God to illuminate your steps or light your pathway? Where have you missed the journey by being overly focused on the destination?
Prayer for the Journey: God, we thank you for being both a lamp and light. We thank you for guiding our feet and helping us reach our destination. When we let fear and doubt cloud the way, please shower us with the grace of your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.