I was 10 when the “great blackout” of the Northeast took place in 1965. I still remember the panic that event brought. However, that is nothing when compared with what it would be like if we did not have God’s Word. Without God’s Word, our lives would be in utter chaos, because God’s Word is the light for our path to everlasting life.
In Psalm 119:105, the psalmist wrote: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
The psalmist understood that God’s Word is what gives our lives true guidance and direction.
It is guidance and direction for eternal life.
It is guidance and direction for our salvation provided by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
It is guidance and direction on how to live for our great God, to honor Him.
It is guidance and direction to experience our great God and Savior in our daily lives.
We can never understand everything in God’s Word. However, the more we read and study the Bible, the greater our insights into God’s character and expectations for His people.
Psalm 119 has 176 verses. I recommend reading it at one time, so that you can understand the intense love the psalmist had for God and His Word. You will find many valuable truths to assist in true worship of our great God.
Consider what we learn from this first stanza – Psalm 119:1-8:
“Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.” People who walk according to the Word of God, having received Jesus as Lord and Savior, are blameless. We are not blameless because we are sinless. We are blameless because Jesus took upon Himself our sin. He then imputed [attributed to us] His righteousness. Thus, we are blessed.
“Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart – they do no wrong but follow his ways.” Further blessings come to those who actively keep God’s statutes, His rules, which involve our seeking Him with all our heart. When we obey God, we will be living the best life, this side of eternity. Not that it will be an easy life. But God will be with us, living in us through His Holy Spirit. He will be guiding our steps, as the “lamp for my feet” would do on a pitch-black night. There is nothing better in life than to experience God’s closeness every moment of every day.
God’s Word, as a light for my path, has given me precepts to guide my life, so that I can live the best life possible, this side of eternity. Precept is defined as: “A general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.” Why does God want to “regulate our behavior or thoughts”? It is because HE is GOD. He is infinite. He knows all. We are NOT God. We are finite. We know nothing. Since He is our Maker, the Designer of our lives, He wants to guide our paths so that we get the most out of our relationship with Him.
When we experience Him, it is a small taste of what is to come for eternity, when His true followers will enjoy the life we all seek after.
A life of no sin!
A life of no troubles!
A life of no anxiety!
A life of no fear!
A life of pure joy!
A life of bliss!
God’s Word holds the instructions we need to have the guaranteed hope of everlasting life, everlasting bliss, as we trust Him and obey Him: “You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.” That bliss is all about worshiping and exalting our great God!
There is a problem. That problem is clearly expressed by the psalmist – we fail to always obey God: “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!” Note how honest he is with the Lord.
Why lament our disobedience? It is because obedience brings the blessing of honor, not shame: “Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.” Great shame will come for those who fail to pursue God.
God is honored when we join the psalmist in praising Him: “I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.” There will be nothing worse than being forsaken by God.
God’s righteous laws illuminate the path for our lives. His Word truly is a “light for our path”. It is the ONLY light for our lives. This is because Jesus is THE WORD! “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
Consider the prophet Jeremiah’s words: “When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.” Jeremiah 15:16, NLT.
What meaning does God’s Word have for us? Are they our joy and delight? Do we thirst and hunger for more of His Word than we did yesterday, last month, last year?
Warren Wiersbe stated: “The Bible is like food for the inner person. It is milk (1 Peter 2:2), solid food (Hebrews 5:11-14), bread (Matthew 4:4), and honey (Psalm 19:9-10).”
Do we feed on God’s Word more than we do on physical food? Why might doing this be a turning point in our lives?
God wants us to delight in Him. We learn how to do that through His Word. He is looking for sincere worshipers. We learn these truths by studying His Word. This is one way God uses His Word to light our paths: “The Lord says: These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” Isaiah 29:13
If I can help you find God as the light for your life, please contact me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com. Jesus wants to be your Lord and Savior.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!
Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.
Copyright 2025 Donna Shappy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.