A Lamp and a Light

 

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” *  

My husband, Al, and I had to stay home from church one Sunday morning due to health issues. We prefer to attend in person; however, we appreciated having the option of watching the service as it was livestreamed on the computer that morning.

At the end of the service, we stayed online to hear the postlude by the church organist. The piece she had selected was incredibly difficult, involving both hands and both feet!  Another camera was used that was positioned beside her. Rather than photographing the stage, pulpit and choir loft, this one caught the organist’s image from the side. Not only did it give a close-up view of her as she played, it also showed the people out in the congregation and the stained-glass window on the back wall above the balcony.  

There was a small piano lamp over the pipe organ shining on her music and making her face radiant! The lamp was normally hidden from view from our seats in the sanctuary due to the placement of the organ behind the pastor’s pulpit.

As we watched her play, I realized the importance of the lamp. It illuminated the pages so that she could distinguish each note, and could see where to place her hands on the keys, what stops to pull and which pedals to use with her feet…quite a complicated endeavor. Her postlude was an amazing love gift to the admiring congregation.

The camera also revealed the round stained-glass window in the back of the church.  With the sun shining through the window, each piece of glass sparkled like a jewel. That was another special gift which, along with the postlude, was enhanced by the shining of light.

The Bible has been a great source of guidance, my “light” through the years. When decisions must be made, scripture has taught me to acknowledge God “in all my ways,” realizing that He, my shepherd, will lead me in right paths and that He has a plan for my life.

His Word has truly been a lamp for my feet in my journey with Him, a journey that has sometimes led through unknown territory. I remember sitting at an interview for my first teaching job. At the end of the interview, the principal asked, “Well, do you want the job?”

 I had prayed previously for the right job, but never expected to be asked that question at my first interview! After pausing for a moment to take a deep breath and pray a quick silent prayer, I accepted his offer.

There have been many other times in my life when I have had to trust God completely for guidance. He has never let me down! Even on a day-to-day basis, He orders my steps, helping me to prioritize things and giving me a sense of calm instead of feeling overwhelmed. I just have to ask…and then listen!

God’s Word is comforting in times of distress and grief. Lost cell phone? Our all-seeing Father knows right where it is. This knowledge helped Al and me recently when we misplaced the cell. We tried to recall when we had last seen it and then back-tracked, searching high and low. Al finally found it, wedged between the driver’s seat and the door. The black phone was camouflaged by the dark seat cover. God’s light, illuminating the dark. Thank you, Lord!

Earlier that day, we had attended a service for Al’s daughter, Shanda, in which her ashes were interred in a grave site next to her grandparents and relatives on her mother’s side of the family. As we gathered with a few of her family and friends for a final good-bye, we listened to a message of hope given by the pastor who had helped Shanda through the last years of her battle with cancer.

The promise of everlasting life through faith in God’s Son, Jesus, found in John 3:16 was comforting, a light as we walked through the valley of the shadow of death. Through scripture, we know that God loves us and that Jesus has promised to be with us to the end…then, we will be with Him forever.

His Word, the Holy Bible, is true and sure, the lamp to our feet and the light to our path. Why not go to it for help along life’s journey?      

*Psalm 119: 105 NIV