Psalm 112:4 | Psalm 119:105 | Job 5:13-14
When it’s dark, do you know where you’re going?
Imagine this: You are in your room at night and the power goes out. Your phone is dead and you cannot see your hand in front of your face. Can you find your way to a flashlight or a candle?
Of course you can–no big deal. But what if the same thing happened at a new friend’s house? In that unfamiliar environment, you would be doomed to stumble along slowly and, maybe, painfully.
Now imagine that your new friend calls to you through the darkness. They tell you which way to turn and warn you about obstacles in your path. How valuable would their words be to you in that situation?
How often does your life seem like unfamiliar territory?
Life can turn dark quickly. But God promises to make light arise for those who trust and follow him.
Light shines in the darkness for the godly.
They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
(Psalm 112:4 NLT)
They will have enough goods to share with others, enough love to care for others, and enough strength to deal with others justly. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
But how can you find this light when you cannot see your hand in front of your face?
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path.
(Psalm 119:105 NLT)
“Your word” refers to God’s Word–the Holy Bible. Today we have more of God’s word than the psalmist had when he wrote the scripture above. We can see how the prophecies in the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, through the New Testament writings of the early Church.
We can also hear God’s word in our hearts through prayer. But remember–if what you ‘hear’ does not line up with scripture, you are not hearing God’s voice.
Most of all… When life gets dark, do not think you are wise enough to handle things on your own.
He traps the wise in their own cleverness
so their cunning schemes are thwarted.
They find it is dark in the daytime,
and they grope at noon as if it were night.
(Job 5:13-14 NLT)
Turn to God in prayer and by studying his word in the Bible. Do so, and you will see that “God helps those who help themselves” is nowhere to be found in his word.
Your heavenly father loves you and wants to be the light in your darkest moments.
Questions for Group Discussion
- What are some ways in which your life can get “dark”? What are some circumstances that make it hard to know how to respond? Have you ever felt like you were stumbling through the darkness?
- How has God’s word been a light in your life? Can you think of a particular occasion in which scripture or prayer helped you make an important decision?
- Why do you think good and evil and are spoken of in terms of ‘light’ and ‘darkness?’ Can you think of another metaphor to describe the same concept? Or can you think of a story to further illustrate the concept?
Light it Up: Application
Read Proverbs 4:18-19 NLT and answer the following questions.
- What is “like the first gleam of dawn”?
- What is “like total darkness”?
- What happens to the light of righteous people?
- Why is it significant that the wicked “have no idea what they are stumbling over”?
- How does the rest of the chapter say to gain righteousness and wisdom?
