Walking with a Light

 SCRIPTURE READING — PSALM 119:105-112

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

My headlamp is a useful piece of gear for hiking and camping. I’ve used it for walking at night and for finding things in the dark. But during a snowstorm one day, when temperatures dropped well below freezing on the Appalachian Trail, my headlamp battery died, rendering it completely useless.

Thankfully, on our path through life we have a light that won’t fail: God’s Word.

Psalm 119 is one long celebration of God’s Word. The psalmist celebrates the eternal truth and reliability of God’s Word, calling it a lamp for his feet. Now, this is not like stadium lights, so bright that they seem to change darkness to day. Instead, this is more like my headlamp, for moving along step by step. This light illuminates the step I am taking right now, and then the next one. Knowing God’s Word does not make us God. It reveals the love, faithfulness, and power of the God we depend on. It teaches an obedience that gives us confidence to walk with God on dark pathways.

In this digital age, instant information makes daily tasks easier. Google can show us the fastest route for a trip. YouTube can show us how to hang drywall or plant a tree.

But only God’s Word can lead us in the paths that God approves and chooses for us.

Lord Jesus, may your Word guide our paths and be the joy of our hearts. Amen.

Walking without Fear

 SCRIPTURE READING — ISAIAH 35:1-10

No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. —  Isaiah 35:9

Hikers frequently ask each ­other, “Have you seen any bears?”

One morning while I was out walking the Appalachian Trail, a bear suddenly crossed in front of me and scrambled down the hill. As it rooted under a log and watched me pass, I considered what I’d do if it chased me.

It is a comfort to know that on the Way of Holiness described in Isaiah 35, no dangerous or hungry beasts will threaten God’s people.

In many passages Isaiah warns of destruction that will come to God’s people if they don’t turn back to living God’s way. But this chapter brims with joy and confidence for all who remain faithful, seeing that God’s way is best. They are redeemed and restored by God. The desert blooms with colorful flowers. The struggling and fearful are restored with peace and hope. Like the deer, they leap for joy. The wicked will not lurk on the pathway of holi­ness. This path is reserved for God’s people.

When we look back at passages like this, we see that they also speak to dangers that we can face in our own turbulent, uncertain times. Ultimately this passage calls us to live faithfully as we walk and wait for the full revelation of God’s kingdom of peace and holiness.

Lord, fill us with your hope and peace as we wait for your kingdom to fully come. Amen.

Walking Through the Waters

 SCRIPTURE READING — ISAIAH 43:1-2

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” —  Isaiah 43:2

I could see the next shelter as I descended the hiking trail, but a swollen creek crossed my path, and there wasn’t a bridge. Seeing no other option, I stepped into the stream and waded carefully across without slipping. It wasn’t my first water crossing along the Appalachian Trail, and it wouldn’t be my last. Wading through moving water can be dangerous.

In this passage from Isaiah, God assures his people of his presence and protection. When the challenges and crises of life stand in their way like a rushing river, says the Lord, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.” Using the imagery of surging waters and raging fire, God promises that his people will not be overwhelmed. Later in this chapter, God recounts how he kept Israel safe from the deep waters and the army of Pharaoh when they crossed the Red Sea (see Exodus 14). God also promises to protect his people from the surging destruction of their own sins. He promises to blot those sins out and to remember them no more.

God, who created us and knows our weaknesses, promises to love us and protect us from dangers both outside and within our own hearts. We see God’s faithfulness to his people and, above all, in his Son, Jesus, who fulfills all of God’s ­promises.

Lord Jesus, you protect and provide for us. Help us to trust you in all things and to serve you wherever we are. Amen.

Walking with Humility

 SCRIPTURE READING — MICAH 6:6-8

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. —  Proverbs 16:18

Though I use a walking stick for hiking, I have fallen several times. As I crossed Sloan Creek on the Appalachian Trail in northern Virginia, I fell again, and I struggled to get up because of my backpack. I wondered, “Have the many miles and crossings made me a little careless?” After all, Proverbs warns that “pride goes . . . before a fall.”

Pride is a vision problem that we all struggle with. In our pride, we fail to see our true place in God’s scheme of things. The Bible condemns pride as the very cause of humanity’s rebellion and its deadly consequences. Forgetting that we are creatures, we reject God’s design for our lives. Thinking that we are superior, we nurture contempt for others.

Humility is the antidote to pride. True humility means clearly seeing our place in relation to God and the world he has made; it means treating God as God, and treating ourselves and others as his loved creatures. That’s how God wants us to walk with him—treating everyone with due dignity and grace.

How do we practice humility? We walk humbly with God when we walk with Jesus. By his death, Jesus has redeemed us and set us on the right path. By his example, he leads us. As we follow, filled with his Spirit, we can walk rightly in God’s world, respecting and loving everyone.

Lord Jesus, by your obedient life and death, you have shown us how to walk humbly with God. Help us to follow in your steps, serving you and others. Amen.