A Light On Our Path

The city of Muscat, in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman, was still a very biblical-looking place when I lived and worked there in 1965-1966. On the east side is the Gulf of Oman, and in all other directions is the vast Arabian desert. The whole city was at that time surrounded by a very big wall. The only place where one could enter was through the main gate. The wall was about 12 to 15 feet wide at that point. There were wooden benches built into the side of the gate and a number of older men would sit there and discuss matters of importance during the day. The gate had a solid wooden door in it and within that door was a smaller door, called the Judas Gate. The big door would be opened at seven o'clock in the morning and be closed again at seven in the evening.

On a regular basis, I would go in to Muscat from the camp in the desert where I lived, to go to the bank or to do some other business. I had to leave my vehicle in the parking lot outside the gate and walk the narrow streets and lanes to wherever I had to go.

One time, I was invited to the oil company executive's residence inside the wall for a social evening of some kind. I parked my vehicle in the parking lot and walked to this person's residence. At 7:00 p.m., the gate was locked as usual, and when it was time for me to leave, my host called a servant to lead me through the gate to the parking lot. It was very dark, so he was carrying an oil lantern, and thus led the way to the gate, through the little door, and on into the parking area.

Later, I thought about that: he led me along an unknown path down a dark street, and his lantern lit our way, one step at the time. And it reminded me of a verse:

Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (NKJV)

And isn't that the way it is with God's Word? As we walk down life's pathway, His Word does indeed light our path. Sometimes, we walk in the darkness of ill health or sorrow, and we will be guided by the light of God's Word to a place of comfort or understanding or patience. There are times when we stumble along life's pathway trying to cope with some problem or other, and God's Word gives us insight as to what to do.

God's Word is indeed a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we pray that as we walk this pathway of life, we will always be guided by Your Word, which is indeed a lamp unto our feet. May we all be brought to Jesus, the light of the world. Amen.

Joel Jongkind
Meaford, Ontario, Canada