Step By Step
My husband has every kind of flashlight known to man.
I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and I knew that before I married him that Ken Tada is a gadget guy. But not just any gadgets. His main thing is flashlights. He’s got big ones, small ones; flashlight magnets; LED flashlights on zippers, carabiners; ones that clip on his breast pocket; flashlights with rotating heads; rechargeable, waterproof flashlights with strobes and others that automatically signal SOS. This guy’s got a whole array, a stockpile in case of an earthquake. Occasionally, he’ll find something new on Amazon that’s small with lots of lumens, and he’ll take me outside in the dark, and shine it on a neighbor’s roof over the next hill. He loves to see things – everything – out there, up ahead in the dark. And the farther a beam of a flashlight can reach the better.
Now, this never would’ve played well in biblical times. Back then, living in a home – let’s say in Nazareth – you just had a little oil lamp that gave off “just” enough light to cast shadows in a small room. People back in Bible times never had a chance to see things way out there, up ahead in the dark. Psalm 119 tells it like it was; it says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” That’s it. A lamp light for your feet; just enough to see your path. And that may be all the light God intends to shed on your situation. Just enough godly illumination for your next step on the path the Lord’s put you on. The Word of God doesn’t show you stuff way up ahead, out there in the dark. It just illuminates your next step.
And that can be frustrating. Like this season we’re still in with the flu and COVID-19 and all that? Well, I have a young friend who wants to plan a wedding – a big wedding. But as she looks to December, there are still so many unanswered questions. Will they be able to have a large gathering? Will churches be more open? Can they seat ten people around a table without fear of infection? This whole coronavirus stuff really has us taking one step at a time, doesn’t it? And my friend who wants to get married, her and her fiancé are wondering if they should do just that: take a step now and tie the knot. ’Cause who knows what’s up ahead, out there in the dark. What will November and December and January be like? God has only given my young friend and her fiancé enough light to illumine their next step. And more and more, it looks like they’ll be doing a small ceremony in her parent’s backyard.
During these challenging days when we would all wish God would shed more light on the situation, his Word tells us in Galatians chapter 5: Keep in step with the Spirit. The Christian walk is a step by step. And the Word of God is a lamp for right in front of your feet, right now; only enough light to help you make the decisions you need to to stay on the path of righteousness. John 1:5 says that “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Wow. Light’s a powerful thing, and you don’t need much to chase away the darkness. So, for whatever decisions you are facing right now, tough ones during this difficult time, have confidence in the Word of God to illuminate your situation, and your thinking, even your outlook on the future. God calls us to keep in step with the Spirit and just to stay on that righteous path in front of you. So, let God’s Word be a lamp to your feet today. That’s your hopeful word in this very difficult season of hardship. Thanks for joining me for Joni and Friends!
© Joni and Friends
Have You Felt Like Giving Up Lately?
The title says it all – everyone goes through times of discouragement, even despair. This book leads you toward hope in even the hardest of circumstances. Here’s step-by-step guidance on giving your struggle to God and reclaiming your joy.
