Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 (NLT)
The light of the world is ours. It provides us with the next steps we need to take in order to continue walking in the perfect will of God. Unfortunately, sometimes we think we want to see beyond the next steps. We want to see the entire journey. The devil will whisper in our ears about things beyond the next steps God has for us. But true faith needs only to see the next step. Christ is the light in our lives, directing our paths. When we truly realize that then there is nothing to cause us fear! That is the promise the Psalmist is reminding us of. No matter what situation we find ourselves in and no matter how dire it may seem, God is still your light. He still provides you the way out of the darkness. He still provides the direction you need.
He is also our salvation. The
dictionary defines salvation as, " a
source, cause, or means of being saved or protected from harm, risk, loss,
destruction, etc." We have been saved already beloved! Before we came to
the glorious salvation of Jesus Christ we were heading for certain destruction.
There is more to life than the 80 or so years we get on this planet. Deep down,
everyone knows this. But whatever harm, risk or loss we had been facing, has
now been wiped out through the salvation provided by Jesus on
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1: 13-14
Hallelujah! We were created for fellowship with our creator. But through sin we choose a separate life a life apart from the presence of God. But because of the salvation provided by Christ, we are reunited with God. The Psalmist is reminding us of what truly matters when we face the trials of this life. They mean nothing compared to eternity and our place alongside our Lord and Savior! No matter how grim the report is that we are facing nothing can separate us from the love God has lavished upon us through His only son:
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 38-39 (NLT)
That is what we have in Christ and how we overcome the world through Him! That is why the Psalmist declares we have nothing to fear. The key verses continue to assure us with a similar promise the Lord is our fortress, protecting us from danger. The dictionary defines fortress as "a place of exceptional security." So, not only is God our light directing our steps and our salvation assuring us everlasting life, but He is also our place of exceptional security!
Let's be real though. When the forces in this world gather against us we can feel very unsafe. Our flesh rises up and we start to look at our problems instead of our problem solver. Our circumstances can become bigger than our beliefs; bigger than our God if we are not careful. Note that verse two tells us "when evil people come to devour me." It doesn't say IF evil people come to devour me but WHEN. One of the greatest misconceptions about being saved is that it means the end of trials and tribulations. Nonsense if anything it places you on the radar of the enemy. Never lose sight of the fact that we are fighting a spiritual battle:
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6: 12 (NLT)
