[This is one in a series of mid-week Reflections published by Horley Baptist Church during October 2020]
In 1973 two now-famous musicians released a novelty song with the first line “Window The In Doggie That is Much How”. I was reminded of this song whilst thinking about how this week’s memory verse was announced during last Sunday’s online service.
Your lamp light my feet verse is psalm word a on path one hundred and five for a one hundred and nineteen.
It was at this point that my internet connection went down and I was left to ponder the words as presented.
The devices that we call lamps or lights can be classified into two distinct types. There are lights that are intended to be seen and lights with which we see. Lights that are intended to be seen can be purely decorative, such as Christmas tree lights, but very often they convey a message – this machine is on, I’m here so please avoid me, look out for pedestrians, this an emergency or simply ‘STOP!’
We regularly see this type of light in the skies around Horley; often red or green, they tell us that an aircraft is present. However, if you are at a certain alignment with the runway you will see the other type of light – the bright landing lights that allow the pilots to see the ground. This type of light is not intended to be looked at – it’s purpose is to allow us to look at other things or to check that the way ahead is safe. Here we would include the flood lights that illuminate architectural facades, car headlights, the infrared lamps that help us see in the dark and even the ultraviolet lights that make other materials shine.
In His sermon on the mount, Jesus declared “You are the light of the world … let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” So whether you think of yourself as the type of light that conveys a message or the type of light that shows the way, the instruction is to be visible and distinct.
Of course, a light without a power source is of limited use. It leaves us stumbling around in the dark, at risk of falling and missing what we are aiming for.
Is your power source running down? Are you feeling flat? Take another look at the memory verse – you may find it easier to remember in its original form:
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. [Psalm 119 v105]
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
