One step at a time

Psalm 25:4-5 (ESV)

4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

    teach me your paths.

5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are the God of my salvation;

    for you I wait all the day long.

A father asked his son to carry a letter from their camp to the village. He pointed out a trail over which the lad had never gone before. “All right Dad, but I don’t see how that path will ever reach the town,” said the boy. “Well son, I'll tell you how. Do you see that big tree down the path?” asked the father. “Oh, yes, I see that far.” “Well, when you get there by the tree, you’ll see the trail a little farther ahead -- and farther down you'll see another big tree -- and when you reach that one you'll be closer and so on until you get within sight of the houses of the village.”

In the same way, I believe God wants to reveal the way for each one of us on our trails toward Him, one tree at a time. Sometimes we're convinced we need to see the end of our path, so that we can be reassured that there's something good down there, or that we're going in the right direction, or that we'll be able to see if it gets dark.

We all know firsthand how it feels to walk in the darkness here in the Land and not know where the end will be -- and often how we'll have the strength and sustenance to get there. It's not easy to move forward and trust that God will light the path ahead and point us in the way we should go. But the fact is that it is a crucial step toward our growth and maturity in the Lord and we all need to get to there.

Dear Lord, help us to make this journey one step at a time. Looking to You for the guidance that we need.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Light To Our Feet.

Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

Your word is a lamp for my feet,

    a light on my path.

The city of Muscat, in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, still looks like a  biblical place. On the east side is the Gulf of Oman, and in all other directions is the vast Arabian Desert. The whole city is surrounded by a very big wall. The only place where one could enter was through the main gate. The wall was about 12 to 15 feet wide at that point. There were wooden benches built into the side of the gate and a number of older men would sit there and discuss matters of importance during the day. The gate had a solid wooden door in it and within that door was a smaller door, called the Judas Gate. The big door would be opened at seven o'clock in the morning and be closed again at seven in the evening.

A story is told by a man that lived near the city. “On a regular basis, I would go in to Muscat from the camp in the desert where I lived, to go to the bank or to do some other business. I had to leave my vehicle in the parking lot outside the gate and walk the narrow streets and lanes to wherever I had to go.

One time, I was invited to the oil company executive's residence inside the wall for a social evening of some kind. I parked my vehicle in the parking lot and walked to this person's residence. At 7:00 p.m., the gate was locked as usual, and when it was time for me to leave, my host called a servant to lead me through the gate to the parking lot. It was very dark, so he was carrying an oil lantern, and thus led the way to the gate, through the little door, and on into the parking area.

Later, I thought about that: he led me along an unknown path down a dark street, and his lantern lit our way, one step at the time. And it reminded me of a verse:

Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (NKJV)”

That the way it is with God's Word? As we walk down life's pathway, His Word does indeed light our path. Sometimes, we walk in the darkness of ill health or sorrow, and we will be guided by the light of God's Word to a place of comfort or understanding or patience. There are times when we stumble along life's pathway trying to cope with some problem or other, and God's Word gives us insight as to what to do.

God's Word is indeed a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

Dear Lord, we pray that as we walk this pathway of life, we will always be guided by Your Word, which is indeed a lamp unto our feet. Help us lead others to the light. In Jesus’ Name,  Amen.