The lamp and the light

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The Lamp and The Light.

Our car had the worst foggy headlights I had ever seen. I would complain to The Sweetheart that I couldn’t see well at night, it never seemed like our lights were even turned on. I tried every Pinterest remedy I could find from toothpaste to baking soda to bug spray. Some would make it look a little better for a while but then it would come right back.

Finally, we heard that a local store offered, at the low, low price of $29.95, a once-and-for-all fix for those cloudy headlights. I do not know how they did it but they look brand-new and completely clear!

You simply cannot drive at night without headlights, you are asking for disaster.

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105.

And you simply cannot navigate in the world in which we live without a lamp for your feet. We have GPS, a God-send to people like me who are directionally challenged! (I may or may not have just created a new word.) But even this modern technology can be wrong at times.

Recently, on one of our Revival By Design trips to the South, we were to be staying with missionary friends for the weekend. We had plugged the address into our GPS and finally arrived at about 10:30 p.m. We pulled down into the driveway, quite a steep dip, and were waiting on our other friends to arrive before we went to the door. They were twenty minutes behind us.

But things didn’t look quite right. The house was very small, I was already wondering about the accommodations. There were toys scattered all over the yard and there were lights on in the house.

The Sweetheart was content to lay his seat back and snooze until our friends arrived! I was in a panic, sure we were at the wrong address and even more sure that the homeowners would come out with a shotgun at any moment.

We WERE at the wrong house. Typing the address into GPS but leaving off a necessary East or West apparently makes a difference. When we finally realized we were sitting in someone else’s driveway and it was nearing midnight, we got out of there and fast!

It matters what map you use and what kind of lamp lights your path! When this God-breathed inspiration of scripture was written it was necessary to carry a lamp, filled with oil, if you were going to be out at night. There were no street lights or anything else to light your way.

And that lamp didn’t light up the road for miles, it just showed enough for the next step, and then the next and the next, etc. God’s Word is enough for every day, for every situation and then the next day you open it again and it is enough for that day. You will find your answers, your direction for EACH DAY when you make it a priority and let it be your guide.

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow,” said Jesus, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34.

You have to take that next step and keep walking and the Light will always be there, it will be a continual light for your path, for your LIFE.

Lamp and the Light

In studying this thought today, I discovered the Hebrew word for light, אוֹר, can also mean happiness. Say what?! Could the psalmist have meant that when we let that lamp guide our feet then we will have complete contentment, joy, even happiness walking in that Light?!

Or perhaps the reason the Psalmist mentioned a lamp AND a light was because if we let the Word of God take us on the first step, in the light that the lamp gives us, then He will light up our entire path, giving us continual direction and lighting our way to see clearly where He is leading! He will give clarity and assurance that He is with us, making our way plain.

A lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path. Walking daily with God will give us all the light and direction we need for each step, for each question, for each trial that comes our way. Jesus will always be there for HE is the Light, the Truth and the Way.

Are you struggling with something today and not sure which way to turn? Let the Word of God be that lamp that points you in the right direction and the Light that brings the peace that passes all understanding.

For the Kingdom

Sharing with Modest Mondays

My only safe haven

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It’s #FiveMinuteFriday and today’s word prompt is Haven. If you want to read other posts on the same subject you can go to Kate’s place here!

I immediately thought of the words to the old hymn, Haven of Rest and will now have it in my head for days. The author, Henry Gilmour, was an immigrant from Ireland. He had set sail at the age of 16 to learn navigation but when they arrived in Philadelphia, Henry decided to stay in America and seek his fortune. He earned his living as a house painter and serving in the Civil War, was captured and spent time in a confederate prison. After the war, he trained as a dentist, an occupation he would have for many years.

Henry also knew the Savior, which is obvious by his hymns. One of my favorite verses is the very first:

My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea,
So burdened with sin and distressed,
Till I heard a sweet voice, saying, “Make Me your choice”;
And I entered the “Haven of Rest”!

Is it really that simple? Will our burdens be lifted and our life free of pain, worry and stress if we make Jesus our choice?

Yes.

And no.

True, our troubles may not vanish but the sweet peace that comes with knowing Jesus can carry us through any situation. He is our safe haven!

So what is a haven? It is simply a refuge, or place of safety or an inlet providing shelter for ships or boats; a harbor or small port. We witnessed first hand several beautiful safe havens when we were on the Mediterranean island of Malta last year.

haven

You can’t see the inlet itself here but picture a violent storm and this small boat tossed about on the waves of the sea. Certain that they will be lost in the storm, all of a sudden they see a shelter, a place of refuge, a literal safe haven.

“He made the storm be still,  and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.” Psalm 107:29, 30 ESV.

Carved out of the rock, a perfect place for shelter, a safe haven away from the storm! That is the key!

Jesus takes us through the storm, He doesn’t remove it.

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He shows His hand and His mighty power by protecting us, sheltering us or covering us with His strength to do the unimaginable. Philippians 4:13.

Are you searching for peace and safety? Do you need a place of refuge and someone to lift the heavy load you are carrying? There is such a place just for you when you make that choice. Jesus is calling! You were not meant to bear your burdens alone, let Him carry them for you and bring you peace today. Anchor your soul in the Haven of Rest!

I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest,
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep o’er wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.

If you have never heard this comforting hymn, take a listen:

Does God send suffering?

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Does God send suffering? This is a big question for us to tackle. The best place to go is to the Word of God.

I know from the Word that the enemy, (the devil, Satan, ole’ Lucifer, the deceiver, father of lies, etc.), this accuser, is only allowed to put things in our pathway as God gives him liberty.

He has power on this earth, but only as much as God will allow him to have. As in the case of Job, God would not allow Satan to take his life. “And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.” Job 2:6.

Peter tells us that Satan goes about as a roaring lion “seeking whom he may devour”.  1 Peter 5:8. He is not content to leave us as we are, but will do everything in his power to get us “over on his side”.

If we believe God loves us, and of course we do, we also know He chastises, or corrects us, to help us learn and grow. Let’s look at this in the book of Hebrews:

“For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”

“Scourge” here is defined as “…to punish with severity; to chastise; to afflict for sins or faults, and with the purpose of correction.”  (KJV dictionary)

 “…For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.  Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:6-11.

Just as an earthly father would correct his children, so does our Heavenly Father correct those whom He loves.

Do our physical ailments and conditions mean that God is chastising us? Even punishing us for something that we have done or that our parents have done?

suffering

Look at the story of the blind man that Jesus healed:

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” John 9:1-3 NKJV.

Jesus then spits on the ground, makes a paste of the mud, puts it on the blind man’s eyes and tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. When he obeys, he is instantly healed of his blindness.

But Jesus makes it clear that the blind man has done nothing wrong, better yet his handicap is used for the glory of God! When he is healed, it is then a great testimony to the power of God.

The blind man did not sin. His parents didn’t sin; they had nothing to do with this man’s blind condition. Here, Jesus makes it plain that He is going to use this man’s handicap as an opportunity to work a miracle.

This man’s blindness was not a punishment from God any more than cancer, heart ailments, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, etc., is to us today.

Yes, God has control over our sicknesses, He can take them away in a moment if He so desires.

But some things are allowed, or given to us, to make us stronger, or to help point others to Christ.

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From the book, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, Tim Keller shares, “Some suffering is given in order to chastise and correct a person for wrongful patterns of life (as in the case of Jonah imperiled by the storm), some suffering is given not to correct past wrongs but to prevent future ones (as in the case of Joseph sold into slavery), and some suffering has no purpose other than to lead a person to love God more ardently for himself alone and so discover the ultimate peace and freedom.”

If you are struggling with an illness or handicap, do not despair or even be discouraged. God has not forgotten you, He has not rejected you, nor WILL HE EVER! He can use your disability or short term illness for His Glory and you will be blessed beyond measure through the process.

Learning to trust Him, to lean upon Him and depend on Him for your very breath will find you at His feet. That is a most wonderful place to be!

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