The Light of God's Word

Photo Credit: Timothy Holmes

May 13, 2026

Praying Friends,

It was dark, cold, and very dangerous. We (my son Ben and I) had made a series of bad choices. As the father, I take full responsibility.

The first mistake was to start a climb on Gros Morne Mountain, which is 2,644 feet high, in the Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland in late December at 3 pm.

We were coming down the mountain in darkness at around 7 pm. We had walked through snow in our sneakers, freezing and exhausted with no food or water. We couldn’t see the path. 

Then I realized that my old flip phone could provide a little light. When I opened it up, the light of the phone was just enough for me to see where to put my next step. 

This illustrates how the psalmist must have felt spiritually as he spoke to his God saying, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, and light on my path,” (Psalm 119:105 NIV).

This is the 14th section of the Psalm, which relates to the Hebrew letter NUN. Psalm 119:105-112 says,

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. I have suffered much; preserve my life, LORD, according to your word. Accept, LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws. Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law. The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts. Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.

The Word of God will lead you where you should go. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Ps. 119:105). 

A lamp suggests illumination for one's immediate surroundings. It provides light for the next step. If you don’t have light for your feet, you will trip and fall.

The Word of God will be your source of light for the present moment in which you live.  

When you’re discouraged, it has the encouragement needed to help you endure. When you fall, it has the power to pick you up again. When you’re angry it has the ability to bring peace and calmness to your heart.

Not only this, but God’s word is prophetic in nature. It will tell you the end of the story and thus provide direction, hope, and focus. If you are standing at an open grave, the Word of God has the truth that enables you to grieve with hope and peace.

The Word of God will keep you from straying from the right path. “I will follow your righteous laws…I have not strayed from your precepts” (Psalm 119:106,110).

Life is full of traps from the enemy and pressures from the world to conform. Like guardrails on a narrow, steep-turned, mountainous road, God’s Word is like moral protection to keep you from falling. 

When you submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit who will always guide you in line with God’s Word, you will be kept safe from the destructive paths of sin that can ruin your life. 

The Word of God will provide refreshment and sustenance in times of difficulty. “I have suffered much; preserve my life, LORD, according to your word” (Psalm 119:107).

We are not told what the suffering or affliction was, but it caused the writer to turn to God’s Word for help. The Word of God became an anchor for him when life was overwhelming.

The preservation of life according to God’s Word (verse 107) is what happens when we live in the good of God’s promises. When we believe what He says and appropriate truth, incorporating it into our lives, the Word becomes nourishment and support.

The Word of God can be the source of your joy. “Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart,” (Ps. 119:111).

The Word is a possession that is not merely useful; it is treasured. It has become the delight of his heart. 

As we see in the final verse of this section, this joy leads to resolve: he bends his heart toward lifelong obedience. “My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end” (Psalm 119:112). May it be so in all our lives.

Thank you for praying with us for our prodigals and for revival among us.

Warmly in Christ,

Bryan and Rachel