September 10
A Well-Lit Path
In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality. ––Proverbs 12:28
When I was a kid one of my favorite movies was The Wizard of Oz. In the 1970s it wasn’t like you could stream it any time you wanted, either. For some reason, I always remember it airing around Thanksgiving—what Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West, and some flying monkeys had to do with turkey day, I have no clue. I remember belly laughing when the Cowardly Lion got spooked by the Great and Powerful Oz and jumped out the window, and also being somewhat terrified by the lipstick-wearing monkeys (well, it looked like lipstick to my 7-year-old brain).
You have to admit, the yellow-brick road was pretty cool. Could you imagine if God gave each of us a clearly marked path to walk on each day? I mean, how hard was it for Dorothy and her companions to find the Emerald City—all you had to do is put one foot in front of the other and walk.
Man of God, living life daily in the Holy Spirit is not much different than following a yellow-brick road, actually. David says:
I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. ––Psalm 119:104-105
He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. ––Psalm 23:3
And so it also was with Solomon:
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. ––Proverbs 4:18
God’s guidance and direction is a lamp/light to our feet (think a moonless pitch-black night with a path lit by footlights), as is His Word. As we ingest and digest God’s Word, it illuminates us. Not only does it allow us to see, but like deep-dwelling fish living in the depths of the ocean, that light becomes luminescent—it shines through us onto others. Remember:
The Holy Spirit inside you will shine through you, even if you don’t feel very shiny.
Even when you are having a bad day and feel “ weakly lit,” the Holy Spirit still shines through you. Never think that it’s your emotional exuberance, mental state, or any other personal trait that ultimately brings another person to Jesus. What a relief, right? I mean, it’s His light—the Holy Spirit moving through us––that does the work. All we need to do is be willing to get out of bed, ask for Him to guide the day’s path, and through our obedience He will move. It’s a miraculous fact to ponder: It’s Him working through us, not the other way around.
Man of God, never forget that you are an unquenchable fire for Christ. Despite whatever doubts or difficulties you may have at the moment, that fire shines out of you through the work of the Holy Spirit. In dark times the enemy will whisper that there is no path; that all is chaos and darkness. Don’t let him shade your eyes with these lies. Spiritually open your eyes to the reality of the path God has lit for you. It’s there, and it’s at your disposal.
Father, thank You that You promise to be a light to guide my way—that as I surrender to You, the way forward becomes clear. I know that doesn’t mean everything will always be easy, but with Your light guiding me, I know I cannot go wrong.