At first, I carried a dim lantern that I found in the world. I relied on my own judgement concerning how I should live, shaped by popular opinion of the culture around me. Spiritual darkness caused me to stumble repeatedly.

Today, the light of Christ reveals a better path to me. After all this time, I am still amazed when I consider how my biblical studies, enlightened by the Spirit of God, continue to transform the way I think, feel, and act. Instead of worldly thoughts and attitudes coming forth into action, increasingly, godly principles lodged in my renewed mind reveal themselves in my outward life.

In King David’s time, people traveled in numbers for increased safety. To avoid the heat of the day, these caravans of people often moved during the night. Torches and lamps were carried ahead of the caravan to keep them from trudging through heaps of animal dung obstructing the way, and to prevent them from sliding into precipices along the path or falling into an open sewer by the side of the road.

No doubt, King David had the image of a caravan traveling at night in mind when he penned his psalm. He did not trust his own mind which, in its imperfect state, did not allow him to see things clearly. Instead, he resolved to faithfully abide by the righteous judgments of God. When paths opened up before him, he solemnly swore to follow only those upon which the lamp of God’s word was shining.

The world in which we travel is a dark and somewhat dangerous place without the word of God to direct us in the way we should go. Heavenly wisdom imparts clarity to indecision, revealing the way and bringing determined resolution. We need the light of the Bible to help us face various life challenges and to comfort us in our fears. Bringing the guidance of the Scriptures with us as we journey here on earth is like carrying a torch to light the way and reveal where or how to place our steps on a dark night.

Observing the teachings of the word of God and using them as a guide allows us to better discern which roads we should travel, and those paths which would lead us astray. Often, those byways exit at a small angle, appearing as if they are not leaving the main road. When the word of God shines on the road we travel, we will see the road more clearly and any trouble it presents. It keeps us from wandering onto roadways that lead to danger, or worse yet, those that completely turn us away from the path of life.

As we walk through this world, we are often called to venture out into the darkest of places and we do not want to go there without the light of the Bible leading the way. Also important, though, is to realize that the most practical use of Scripture concerns habitually applying it as a constant guide for daily life. Whether we walk with the lamp by night, or by the light of day, the instructions written in the Bible bring much-needed assurance to the human heart.

The lamp of God’s wisdom burns brightly with the oil of his Spirit and the word of God is only useful to one whose eyes have been enlightened by the Spirit of God. The traveler who carries the lamp of God and the oil of the Spirit will more clearly discern their way.

I envision the Becoming Biblical blog moving through the books of the Holy Scriptures with devotional insights encapsulating the major themes of each book. Over time, this approach will allow the reader to gain a comprehensive framework of the Bible. If you would like to receive updates to the Becoming Biblical blog, please sign up in the sidebar.