Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

The Apostle Paul in Romans 1:18-32 tells us some of the dire consequences of the fall of humanity into sin. People began to "suppress the truth in unrighteousness." They could clearly see God's revelation of Himself through the things He had made, but they chose to suppress or ignore this general revelation to all of humanity. Although they knew God, they did not acknowledge Him as God or relate to Him as God. Rather than worshipping the Creator, they worshipped mere creatures that they had elevated in their own minds to divine status. They thought they were being wise, but they actually became fools. After all, how smart is it to worship mere creatures that you yourself have elevated to divine status?

Paul goes on to say, "God gave them up to vile passions." Since they chose to ignore God, He let them go in the misguided directions of their foolish hearts. They began to do every evil thing imaginable. Since they knew God through His general revelation, they also knew His righteous requirements. Indeed, these requirements were ingrained in their very consciences (Romans 2:14-16), but they chose to ignore them as well. One might say that by ignoring God and His requirements they strayed off the pathway of righteousness into the wilderness of wickedness.

What's the solution to this deplorable state of affairs? God chose to redirect us back to Himself and to the path of righteousness by giving us another form of revelation, a special revelation over and above His general revelation. This new revelation came in the form of His Word as now written down in the Bible. It is this form of revelation that our verse for today references. Indeed, our verse for today is itself an instance of the Word of which it speaks. We needed a way back to God, a way to get back into a proper relationship to God, and the Word of God in the Bible spells that out.

And that's why God's Word is a lamp or a light. It illuminates the path of righteousness so we can find our way back. It lights up the way that leads us to salvation.

If you need to find your way back today, there is no better way to begin than by reading God's Word in the Bible.

Old Testament Reading
Leviticus 13

Leviticus 13 -- Rules for Skin Diseases, Mildew

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB

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New Testament Reading
Matthew 26:20-54

Matthew 26 -- Plot to Kill Jesus; Jesus Anointed at Bethany; Last Supper; Judas' Betrayal; Jesus before Caiaphas; Peter Disowns Jesus

  NIV   NLT   ESV   NAS   GWT   KJV   ASV   ERV   DRB

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Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library.