Lamp Unto My Feet
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
Visiting the Greek countryside for the first time on my honeymoon was eye-opening.
In the Hawaiian suburb where I grew up, all snakes, if there were any at all, were harmless, and the worst wildlife we encountered on land on a daily basis were cockroaches of all sizes and varieties—including the large flying kind, and flesh-toned geckos whose transparent skin often revealed egg-filled bellies.
But, Greece was a different story. In the lovely seaside community of Filiatra in Messinia of the Peloponnese region, where olive trees abound and beaches boast beautiful clear and refreshingly cool waters to relieve the intense summer heat, in the countryside, outside of town, a different type of wildlife lurks in the shadows and darkness of night. “All snakes are extremely poisonous here,” Hubby warned. “And, watch out for centipedes and scorpions. I got bitten by one as a kid, and it hurt a lot!”
On the farm at night, we would never, ever walk even a well-trodden dirt path without a strong flashlight. A light bright enough to illuminate our feet as well as the path before us was ideal and ensured our safety as we walked from one house to the next.
God’s word does that for us: lights our feet, illuminates our path. We don’t walk blindly, but see clearly. What is good, what is not. Leads us in paths of righteousness. Instructs us and teaches us in the way we should go. Makes us lie down in green pastures. Leads us beside quiet waters. We can clearly discern what is directly in front of us and see what lies just before us, though not all the way down the road. We just know that He will light the way, and we will be on safe footing. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will never fear serpents nor scorpions. His word illuminating our path, we will see them and be safe from them, or, by His authority, trample upon them. Nothing shall by any means harm us.
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Ephesians 6:17
“8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” Psalm 32:8
“He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;” Psalm 23:3b-4 NKJV
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.” Psalm 37:23
