Articles
A Lamp For My Feet
Recently, John Sligh gave a great invitation on a Wednesday night (1/22/25). There was one thing, in particular, that struck me and I want to highlight it in this brief article.
From Psalm 119:105, John rightly observed that God’s word is a “lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path.” Notice that it is not a lamp I can shine a mile ahead of me, but a lamp for my feet -- for the section of pathway that is directly in front of me.
This is really interesting because it’s not the only place in the psalm that uses this kind of language. In verses 130 & 133, it says, “The unfolding of Thy words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple... Establish my footsteps in Thy word...”
Too often, we want to know what’s coming in the future. Maybe we’re just used to having apps that reliably predict the weather, or we can know release dates of new shows and movies months ahead of time. We always want to know who will win the next election, or the next football game, and Americans spend billions of dollars every year obsessively betting on outcomes.
But the psalmist’s exhortation is to just tread carefully in the section of path that is immediately before us. God’s wisdom lights that path, only as far as we need to see to move in faith without fear.
By the way, this isn’t just taking the sentiment of “Que sera, sera”, in which Doris Day shrugs off the future as “whatever will be will be.” No! We know our future and it is awesome! Now, we do not know everything about our personal future (where I’ll be living in ten years, whether my career will work out, how many kids we will have, who will win the Super Bowl, etc.), but we know that there is a definite future prepared for God’s people.
It is a well-defined, fully-assured, Christ-lit future. “In the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
And I don’t get to the final destination by skipping ahead or worrying about what tomorrow will bring. I must live right here, right now, in full assurance of faith. As our Lord said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:33-34).
So for now, I simply ask that the Lord would light up the path and guide me in the next step I need to take.
