The Word--a lamp for my feet and a light for my path

Ever notice how easy it is, when you haven’t been reading the Word, to get sucked into a worldly mindset? Recently, I got really angry with someone at work for a comment they made and my subsequent thoughts towards that person were, well… not conducive towards that person seeing their next birthday—if you know what I mean? In retrospect, of course, I felt very bad about my “knee-jerk” mental reaction towards that person. Not long after the incident I found myself reading in 1 Peter, Ephesians, and other places in the Word discussing the topic of having great depths of patience with others. We are supposed to exemplify love, patience, and forgiveness for others in our words and actions. We do it because it should be an outward sign of our changed lives—we are new in Christ and this is how he calls us to love others.

Though I never actually said anything out loud to that person, I found myself regretting how I mentally reacted in the heat of the moment. Looking back, I realized I hadn’t touched my bible in several days when that incident occurred. I felt silly and ignorant knowing I had blown my cool (though only in my head) over a truly insignificant thing. Had I been reading my daily devotionals instead of letting other “priorities” bump them off my schedule, I really felt like I wouldn’t have had the thoughts I did. I’ve been in many situations where I actually had been reading regularly and just having the Word fresh and flowing in mind kept me from doing things my sinful nature automatically loves to default to…ya know?

This is only one minor example of how not immersing oneself in the Word regularly can have negative daily impacts on our walk with Him. I know there’s lots of other situations like this one we can all relate to—situations that prey on our sinful weaknesses and cause us to stumble and fall. How about that “patient” person that cuts you off in traffic? Or that “people-oriented” boss at work that treats you like scum? Or how about that “charismatic” clerk at the grocery check-out that doesn’t greet you or smile and only rudely grunts in response to questions you ask? You get the picture, right? These situations that have the potential to lead us away from our straight and narrow path don’t necessarily have to be linked to anger/patience issues either. It could be something as seemingly insignificant as eye-balling that slick sports car our co-worker drives and wishing it were ours. It could be as serious as taking home office supplies for personal use when nobody is watching.

We all have our weaknesses that cause us to stumble and our pet-peeves that make us “ping” and the enemy knows exactly how to exploit these soft spots. In fact, the enemy is an expert on how to make us trip and fall. We are all at war whether we believe it or not and whether we want to be or not. Spiritual warfare continues to unfold all around us though we can’t see it with our eyes. So what can we do to protect ourselves? What can we do to fight back? One of the simplest yet most effective defenses is to regularly read the Word. I know our lives are busy. I struggle with that daily myself. But we need to make time to read the Word. It’s more important than eating and drinking and we always make time for that.

The Word is meant to nourish us and guide us spiritually. In Psalm 119:97-98 it says “Oh, how I love your law! I think about it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for your commands are my constant guide.” Later in verse 105 it also says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” With the Word lighting our path, we will not stumble. It is when we attempt to walk the path without Him that we fall into trouble.