The psalmist describes God’s word as a lamp and a light. There is a sense of movement here with the emphasis of the psalmist’s feet on a path. We don’t know where the psalmist is going, but it’s notable that the psalmist doesn’t say, “Your word is a light outside my house.” The picture here is that God’s word guides the believer through life, even in dark spaces where the path is uncertain and potential dangers may lie ahead.

This psalm reminds us that God has not left us to figure out life on our own. Rather, God’s word accompanies us, showing us how to live faithfully as God’s people here and now. While our technology, governmental structures, and understandings of the universe are different from when the Bible was written, the commands and the stories of God’s faithful love provided through the Bible help us to see what it can look like to walk in the light of God’s path today.

As we immerse ourselves in God’s word, we also learn to recognize more fully that Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s word. Jesus was sent not simply to guide us but to be “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6) through whom we receive salvation and experience peace with God.