Light to My Path
Oh, how I love your law!
It is my meditation all day long…
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
to observe your righteous ordinances.
I am severely afflicted;
give me life, O Lord, according to your word.
—Psalm 119:97 & 103–107
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication.
—Ephesians 6:10 & 17–18
God’s holy word is a lamp illuminating our path, pointing our way, helping us see obstacles and avoid stumbling. God’s holy word is also a sword useful for offensive and defensive strategies against the wiles of the devil, but only if we have it available when we need it. The psalmist meditates on God’s holy word all day long, enjoying the sweet flavor, and Paul urges us to carry the sword and pray continuously. What tools do you employ in your battles against the wiles of the devil?
It seems some potent tools in the devil’s arsenal are distractions, busyness and our desire to be entertained. If he can keep us distracted so we fail to commune with God, he wins. When did you last meditate on Scripture? When was the last time you fell to your knees praying in the Spirit? We may begin each day fully intending to commune with God, but if we are not intentional other activities prevent or interrupt us, and this is no accident or coincidence. It is spiritual warfare.
I recently saw Francis Chan deliver a powerful message that caused me to pause and consider the many ways I occupy my time and ponder which of my activities are good and which ones are bad. We know that only God is good, so the distinction between good and bad is relatively straightforward – which activities direct me towards God and which prevent me from doing so?
He discussed Satan’s tactic of beautifully packaging activities so that things hindering our communion with God seem good. I am reminded of many times, driving along with the radio on, a familiar and catchy song comes on and I’m thinking about other things, enjoying the song, and later the song is still playing in my mind and when I stop to consider the lyrics ringing in my ears I am horrified at the words and the images they create. Movies and television shows pull us in with their visually-appealing images, design and editing, and intellectually-stimulating dialogue before we realize we are being exposed to situations and content that is far from holy, and then the images are seared in our minds. We cannot unring the bell. Particularly concerning are forms of entertainment that desensitize us to violence, desensitize us to dehumanizing others, and desensitize us to the occult.
God’s holy word explains that divination, sorcery, casting spells, consulting with ghosts, spirits or the dead is “abhorrent to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 18:12); yet many forms of entertainment may make spells, witchcraft and the like seem attractive or intriguing or simply harmless, fun entertainment. But if we become desensitized to activities that are “abhorrent to the Lord” we are at great risk of falling into traps separating us from God.
What are we to do? God’s holy word urges us to keep His words in the front of our minds, to
Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:7-9
God urges us to meditate on His word throughout each day to ensure His holy word illuminates our path, and to teach His holy word to our children and to talk about God’s holy word to others and to keep Him in the front of our mind throughout each day. Paul urges us to carry the word of God with us in our minds and to pray in the Spirit all the time, because if we fill our mind with what is holy, pure and good, and if we commune with God regularly throughout each day, we will be far less likely to feast on what is bad.
Francis held a large clear baggy filled with an assortment of candy bars. He described his family’s habit of keeping candy in the house and of how it tempted him. He tore into the outer package of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, placed it on his tongue and described how much he loves the taste. Then he pulled out another large clear baggy filled with carrots, apples and bananas, and he started eating the good food and he described how, when he is full of good food, the candy is far less tempting.
But we cannot eat good food once and expect it to satisfy us forever. We need to regularly refuel throughout each day, and if we regularly fill our bodies with good, healthy offerings we will be far less tempted by unhealthy stuff. So it is with God’s holy word. If we submerse our thoughts in His holy word and pray all the time, we will be far less likely to become desensitized to the potentially harmful content surrounding us. But if we merely nibble a little of God’s holy word each Sunday, that bite will not sustain us all week. And if we nibble a little each morning, it may not sustain us all day. This is why God urges us to keep His holy word in the front of our minds all the time, to talk about God’s holy word with others, and to meditate on His holy word all day.
May God’s holy word be sweeter in your mouth than your favorite candy, may He illuminate your path each step of the way, may you have the sword of the Spirit readily available all the time. Amen.