“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” [Psalm 119:105]
For some reason this verse has been running through my mind. It’s almost like being told something that is incredibly important to know. A teaching that will make a great difference. Do you ever experience this same ‘phenomena’?
First, regardless of the ‘phenomena’, do you understand and apply this verse? What are those 2 phrases in Psalm saying? I think that the Lord is trying to tell us a couple of things. One is to remind us of the importance and foundation we can find in the Word. Plus we are told in a number of places to renew our minds and this, Word, is what we renew our minds with and to. In another place it talks about hiding the word in our hearts. Again from Psalm 119
“Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” (v 11)
We now have another purpose that the Word fulfills – to help us not sin. That’s a major benefit. Saved or not, sin will always seek us out to lead us astray. Also, we have a scriptural reminder – 1 John:8
“If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.]”
Do you see the pattern, a line upon line discovering which is defining and then strengthening. This is a never-ending, continual discovering adventure, path we are on. This is how we grow. No matter the wisdom of our writings – it is the Word that proves itself. It is the Word that is our foundation. It is the Word that is our teacher. It is infallible so we can trust it.
And now the final proof, the unmistakable statement:
“All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage];” [2 Timothy 3:16]
Did you see all of the for’s? The Word has instruction… conviction… correction… training. The reason: to keep us on the path and away from sin, to show us error and to restore us when we do (1 John 1:9), how to live. That is a strong foundation not built on man-made fallibles.
Why? Why all of this? Now look at verse 17
“…so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Personally… complete, proficient, outfitted, equipped is what I would love to become… remember, it’s a process but it has a starting point – The Word.
