Walking in the Dark

In Mexico, we often had to walk down the gravel path from the Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) air strip to our house—about ½ a mile, in the dark. The MAF pilot and his wife had three children about the same age as ours, so we frequently got together in the evening. We found that we were able to safely navigate the pathway without street lights or even a flashlight. If there were no clouds, the light from the stars and the moon was enough to guide us on the path. On cloudy nights, the lights from the city 40 km away would reflect off the cloud cover and provide enough light. We just had to remember not to step in the dark spots. A dark spot on the path could be a hole, a puddle of water, or something a cow left behind.

That’s been good advice for life too. Don’t step in the dark spots. If it doesn’t look right, if it could be something bad, don’t do it.

When we moved to Pakistan, walking in the dark became more difficult. In one village where we ministered, after visiting we had to walk through the corn field, down a narrow trail, cross a stream, and climb another bank to get to where we were staying. I had a bright flashlight, what the British call a torch. It was great. With the strong beam we could see way ahead, we could pick out the trail and find the best place to cross the stream. But the trouble with the flashlight was that, while we could see where to go, the area around our feet was in total darkness. We would trip on boulders, step in holes or worse.

There was another type of light we could use, what the local people often used. That was an oil light like a hurricane lantern. It would give a warm glow around our feet so we could navigate all the hazards on the trail. We could walk safely with the lamp. But the trouble with the lamp was that, while we didn’t stumble, we didn’t see where the path went and would happily wander off course and get hopelessly lost.

No, to safely get home, we needed a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. And that’s exactly what God’s word provides.

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 NIV

By following God’s word we can safely navigate all the pitfalls and temptations the world puts in our way. But His word also gives us direction for our lives, long-range goals to pursue.