One night, my tender-hearted husband let our two standard poodles into our bedroom to sleep. All 87 pounds of Max stretched out on the floor on my side of the bed. His younger and smaller brother settled close beside him. Afraid I’d trip over them if I got up during the night, I decided to move them to their usual sleeping spot.
I trudged upstairs with Strider, my smaller boy, and headed back for my stubborn Max. On my way back, I met Max climbing the steps. Good, I didn’t have to drag him to his bed. I could finally settle down.
I strode the few feet to my bed in the dark and fell—hard. In protest to being moved, Max had wadded the rug beside my bed before leaving.
My fall meant multiple visits to the chiropractor and left me with an injured shoulder.
Why did I fall on that familiar jaunt to my bed?
The darkness hid the snare left in my path. One small light would have protected me.
We Need Light
We live in a dark world. To complicate matters, Satan and his emissaries masquerade as angels of light. Wolves dress as sheep—sometimes as shepherds. How do we navigate life safely?
We must walk in God’s light. Even a short walk over familiar territory can prove dangerous in the dark.
In a Dark World, Walk in the Light
Your word is a lamp to my feet. And a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105 NASB1995).
The Psalmist describes God’s word as a lamp. Imagine carrying a lantern on a dark night. How far ahead would you be able to see? The lantern would light the step before you so you could step safely, but you wouldn’t be able to see the whole path.
Sometimes we want God to light the whole path before we take the first step. But to walk in the light means to walk by faith. To walk by faith we must take the step God lights before us.
God’s word is not a GPS that shows every turn along the path. But when we’re yoked to Him, He will show us the next step. Even better, He walks beside us, helping us navigate the inevitable snags along the way.
Those who love Your law have great peace,
And nothing causes them to stumble” (Ps. 119:165 NASB1995).
With all the upheaval in our world, we wonder what to do. Should we buy farmland, invest in cryptocurrency, retire, buy or sell, stay put, or move?
Trust God to Lead You
Years ago, my husband and I wrestled over whether to buy a lot for a house. As we sought the Lord, my daily Bible reading presented verses saying, “Wait on the Lord and He’ll give you the land.” I told Larry, I’m not sure what this means, but “wait” and “land” keep showing up. We decided to wait.
A year later, the Scriptures changed to “When you go into the land and build your fine houses…”
Larry said he’d been sensing it was time to act too. During our wait we found a better house plan for our sloping lot and fine-tuned what we needed. Twenty-five years later, we’re in the same house and are thankful we listened to God and waited.
When we walk with the Lord, step by step He lights the way to the right place at the right time.
Oh, the joys of those who … delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do” (Ps. 1:2-3 NLT).
My fall reminded me that even a familiar path is safest when we walk in the light. Let’s walk in His light—even on our most routine days.
When we walk with the Lord, step by step He leads us to the right place at the right time. #RefreshingFaith, #Direction Share on XClick here to comment.
Blessings,
This post was originally published in April 16, 2022 and has been updated and reshared for today.
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Waiting is hard, but thankfully He path is always the right one. Thanks for your encouragement.
Thank you, Sarah.
Thank-you, Debbie. Wise counsel that is so needed in this
day in which we live.
Thank you, Marilyn!
Oh boy Debbie is this sorely needed in this day. We need to be walking in the light of His Word. There is so much evil, darkness, perversion and deceit all around. Thank you for sharing this.
Ann, I certainly need the light of God’s word to ground me! Thanks so much.
Another great lesson here Ms. Debbie. A secret I’ve learned about finding light my friend is that we have to look for it. I thought of times in my life when God was shining His light brightly upon the path He wanted me to follow, but He found me looking away.
Excellent point, J.D. Those who seek will find!
I enjoyed your message Debbie and waiting is hard especially when we feel we are in the dark. Christ makes all the difference and shines His light to direct us through the darkness.
Yes, all the difference. Thanks, Yvonne.
I appreciate the reminder of step-by-step. Sometimes just a tiny light is indeed what we need. Thanks!
Yes, just enough for the next step. Thanks, Sylvia!
It is amazing how God’s Word illuminates our path in whatever way we need to see. We can read the same passages and then read them again and receive new revelation. His Word is a light to our path. Thanks for sharing, Debbie.
Barbara, it always thrills me when God uses what I’m reading to guide me.
You’ve shared a wonderful example of obedience. God said, “Wait” and you did. Waiting is hard and we often get in trouble with our impatience. I know I’m guilty of being impulsive at times. And I agree wholeheatedly, we need light, most especially the Light of our Lord. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Katherine. Waiting can be hard. It has also brought me peace when the instruction is clear.
So thankful for the light of God’s Word and the Light of Life living inside us, Debbie. Thank you!
Thank you, Annie!
So grateful that our God is like this: “When we walk with the Lord, step by step He lights the way to the right place at the right time.” Amen.
Me too, Lisa! Thanks.
Praise God, He is a light to our path and guides us even in the darkest, hardest journeys!
Amen! He is the Light of the world and His word is a light to our path. Thanks, Donna.
God’s time is always best even though we too often push our own time. Great post! Wonderful encouragement to wait for God to show us the way.
Thanks, Nancy. Waiting is often the next step!
“Take the step He lights before us” Love this!
Thanks, Joni. Let’s stay in the light!
Waiting is never easy but in my life I’ve found those times I did stop, wait and listen for His leading, things went more smoothly.
I agree. It’s not easy when you think you know what you want. Thankfully, in the case above God’s leading was very clear.
Oh, the injustice of moving two dogs so you wouldn’t fall—and then tripping over the rug!
We do need spiritual light on our path every day to avoid the things that would trip us.
Exactly! I’m glad you picked up the irony of the situation.
Debbie, I still wish that God would illuminate the entire way forward, but more and more I’m coming to accept that all I need is enough light for the next step. I’m so thankful He is faithful to provide exactly that. And I love your story about trusting God to lead you when it came to buying land for your house. So encouraging!
Lois, I agree. I think we all feel more comfortable being able to see where we’re going. Yet, looking back, I might have been afraid to go forward if I’d known all that was ahead. But we I went there, He was with me.
That was a very timely message for me as we were thinking of buying property in Florida. It’s a confirmation for us to wait. Praise God! ❤️ G
That is a big decision, I’m sure. Aren’t we grateful God still speaks and gives us wisdom?
I would love to have the mapped-out itinerary for the long haul. 🙂 But God doesn’t work that way. I think that’s mainly because He wants us to trust Him step by step. But I think, too, if we knew some of the things that were ahead we’d be more fearful or distracted. I’m thankful for His love and wisdom in just showing us the next step as we walk in His light. I love the last stanza in the Hymn “If We Could See Beyond Today” by Jerome McCauley:
If we could see, if we could know,
We often say,
But God in love a veil doth throw
Across our way;
We cannot see what lies before,
And so we cling to Him the more:
He leads us till this life is o’er,
Trust and obey.
I agree, Barbara. If I knew every kink in the road ahead that would probably be all I focused on. Knowing that I don’t walk alone give me strength. Thanks for sharing those beautiful stanza.
Debbie, even just reading your title reminds me that so much of our lives (everything?!) is unknown. Only God sees what’s up ahead and He has made our paths straight … even when they’re rocky and trecherous and scary.
As we travel forward, we’re still in process of learning to trust His heart. And I’m grateful He doesn’t give up on us.
You’re right, Linda. We don’t know what a day will bring, but we can trust the One who writes our story to lead us on the right path.
Thanks for the reminder that we are to live in the light.
Thank you, Joanna!
I love this Debbie. I love how God leads us one step at a time by his lamp light. So beautifully spoken.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month Sweet friend. I’m so happy you’re here.
Thank you so much, Paula.
Happy May Debbie! Just popping back over to let you know I’ll be featuring your post at our Sweet Tea & Friend’s May Link Up.
{{Hugs}}
Thank you, Paula! You’re so thoughtful. God bless.