Guidance

‘Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.’ – Psalm 119.105

From Sam Lomas

A few years ago, I was on a walking holiday with my Dad in the Lake District.  Of course, the inevitable happened.  We set out on a walk that we had planned the night before and unsurprisingly, we got lost!   

The walk had started out well.  The sun was shining and the path was clear.  We were climbing higher, occasionally having to scramble over rocks to reach the first summit.  We made it to the top and there before us was our path.  It was covered in snow and ice, but we could see the way ahead!  Twenty minutes later:

“We don’t know where we are!!?!”

I shouted at the top of my voice.  Not because I was angry.  I was more scared than angry.  That’s because the wind, rain and a thick fog had suddenly descended on us at a frightening speed.  We could barely see the edge of the mountain.

“Which way we are meant to go!?!!”

Was my second shout, as I waved a map in front of Dad’s face, hoping he might say something reassuring.  Dad looked at the map.  Then he looked at me.  No reply.

“What should we do?!!!”

My third shout was mostly a plea for help.  Dad looked at me.  His expression was clearly an attempt to reassure me, but it didn’t work. 

Moments later, out of the clouds… four people appeared within twenty metres of us.  Oddly, they were running.  Running on snow and ice – what on earth!  But they had crampons on (small spikes on the bottom of their shoes) which meant they could grip the ice as if it wasn’t slippery at all.

You could tell just by one short glance at these four people that they were experts.  They knew the route – the path wasn’t something on a map for them, it was in their heads and in their hearts.

One quick glance back at my dad, a firm nod silently said, “Let’s follow them”.  And off we went, slipping and sliding after them.  We used their footprints as a guide around the top of the mountain.  After what must have been a couple of hours of following, we made it below the clouds and onto solid ground.

Why do I tell this story?

I tell it because this memory now serves as a reminder to me of what it feels like to have no clear sight, no direction in which to go and confusion as to what to do next. 

To walk safely around that mountain, we needed a guide.  In a similar way, as we journey through life, we will experience mountain top highs and valley lows, the sun may shine or the fog may descend.  But the Bible can be our light to show us the way ahead so we won’t stumble as we walk.  It reveals slippery paths and cliff edges of false values and philosophies.  When we study the Bible, we are able to see a way of life, to stay on the right path.  

If you ever wonder what direction you need to go in life, allow me to encourage you to turn to the Bible.  God’s Word is a lamp for your feet, a light for your path.