Bible ABCs - Guides

It's really fun to tease a cat.  Have you ever done so?  Try it.  At night, especially when you have the lights out, dig out your flashlight (or "torchlight", as they say in some countries) and flash the light around on the floor for your cat to dash and dance after.  Slowly move the beam of light up the wall and see the cat lunge for it.  It's fun for the cat too, I think, and gives it some exercise to boot.

Then there's the typical "guiding light" illustration with the old fashioned oil or kerosene lanterns that they used to use to see their way out to the barn to tend to the animals or nowadays perhaps, use on more rustic camping trips.  One often sees pictures of the good shepherd who's gone out to look for Sheep 100 who went astray (Matthew 18:12-14), holding up such a lamp to guide his way safely along the dark, wet and slippery path over the hills, dales and meadows.

Contemplate Psalm 119:105, a very favorite Bible verse that almost every Sunday School child is asked to memorize,

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (NIV).

I've heard preachers preach that the lamp shows where to put your foot for the next step, and the light may show you a bit further down the path as you lift the lamp higher.  We learn bit by bit, and hopefully obey as we go along, keeping in the light. 

When a person follows the light of God's word, he or she will be right and in the Light.  We know that Jesus said that He is the Light of the world.

"Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, "I am the Light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12 NIV).

Once we have Jesus in our life, we have His light within us.  We also have His Word which brings light as well.  As we read and obey God's Word we will indeed be following His light, not just around in circles or up a wall like the cat, but our way will be guided through life's decisions, trials and troubles.  It will also help our relationship with the Light (Jesus) and help keep us in good company and on firm foundation.

You wanna know how God's Word shed light and opened up someone's eyes from darkness in a wonderful way?  Flip your Bible open to Acts 8:26-40 (NIV) and see it for yourself.  Philip was sent onto the desert road for a very important appointment.  He was to meet a very important official of Queen Candace of Ethiopia.  

The official was pondering perplexedly over a portion of God's Word from Isaiah (53:7, 8).  He really wanted to know the meaning and Philip was sent to expound.  Expound he did of the "good news of Jesus", and the official  came out of his spiritual darkness into the glorious Light of God.  In the end, even though Philip was whisked away,  he "went on his way rejoicing".

He had gotten the light of salvation; that wonderful gift of God through Jesus Christ.  1 John 1:7 (NIV) explains,

"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."

May each one follow and be guided by the Light of God while reading His Word daily and obeying it.  You never know what vistas will open up before you, where He will take you or what adventures you might have until you do.  He will never drive you up against a wall though.

                                                          ~ERC  July 2019~

Song Light of the World, You Stepped Down into Darkness - a Hillsong