Listen:
Psalm 119:105-106, 108, 111
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.
Accept, LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.
Your testimonies are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
Consider:
What a familiar Psalm this is to so many of us! How comforting to think that God’s word guides our steps at every turn, like a lamp that illuminates a path we are to walk on!
BUT, if I’m being honest, the shadows of guilt, of fear, of uncertainty, of mistrust, of so many other things cloud my ability to see where the path is lit for me to walk…I find myself yelling at God about NOT showing me the “right” way, when in fact I’ve shifted my focus to the dark places rather than the light. Because the dark places are scary, I don’t want the dark places to sneak up on me…
Isn’t the whole point of this passage, however, that the dark places CANNOT overtake us if we stay focused on the light that God provides? The joy of our hearts is, perhaps, the constant reminder from scripture that again and again and again God meets the dark with Light that will not fade or go away. We just have to keep on remembering to look for it, especially when the dark spots seem to be the closest.
Respond:
“I believe in the sun even when it’s not shining.”- Jewish prisoner in a concentration camp during WWII
Take a few moments to say the following breath prayer:
Inhale: Where there is darkness
Exhale: You, God, bring light.
Over the next week or so if you are able, take time to walk the prayer labyrinth at the church…be intentional with your steps as you move through a guided space, remembering that even when the shadows of life are present, God’s light will provide a path forward.
Pray:
God we know you guide our steps, but the dark places still seem to pop into our view as we try to follow Your path. Help us remember.
