2017/07/16 Based on Psalm 119: 105-108

July 16, 2017

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws. I have suffered much; preserve my life, Lord, according to your word. Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.

Psalms 119:105-108

Nyctophobia is the fear of the dark. I imagine we all have some level of fear of the dark. When I was young, grade‑school age, to turn on the light in the upstairs hall, you had to go up the stairs, turn on a landing, and then go the last few steps in the dark because the lights from downstairs didn’t reach there. My dad had a policy of no lights on unless you were in the room, and you shut the lights off when you left. That rule meant that if you were going downstairs at night, you had to turn off the hall light and go to the stairs in the dark, go down five steps, and turn the corner before any light from downstairs lit your way.

I was always afraid of the dark, and having to start down in the dark just terrified me. I would shut the light off and then literally leap for the stairs because I was so sure something would jump out of the dark at me. Going up, I rushed frantically to the switch. Of course, my younger brother Tim knew about my problem, and he liked to go upstairs before I did and leap out at me before I could turn the light on. That didn’t help me. I still have some issues with the dark, even though I know rationally there is very little chance of monsters lying in wait for me.

Sometimes when I’m coming home at night, I get out of my car normally and begin walking to the porch. I do that calmly, but when I’m about five steps from the door, I suddenly feel panicked that the monsters in the dark are coming, and I run for the door like a crazy person.

Of course, all I really need to do is have the porch light on, and then it isn’t dark when I come home. That’s the thing about darkness, it goes away when you turn on the lights.

While I imagine very few of you worry about imaginary monsters jumping out at you from the dark, you’ve all probably walked through a dark room and stubbed a toe on something. When you did, you probably grumbled and wished you’d just turned the light on first instead of trying to cross the room in the dark. Darkness not only hides the clear path; it is also disorienting.

We have a game we play at our karate summer games. We practice forms called kata in karate. It’s using karate moves to tell a story, practice techniques, and strengthen our balance and core muscles. Many of the kata originated in Japan a very long time ago. Think of it as a martial arts dance form. We practice these often, and there are numerous forms, or katas, we need to know for testing for each belt.

At the summer games, we put on a blindfold and do the kata. You should end the kata where you started it. It’s quite amusing to see just how hard it is to do that blindfolded. People get completely turned around, they stumble, trip, and go off at weird angles. It’s very hard to end at the correct place when you can’t see where you’re going.

There is a way, of course, that we can avoid the stubbed toes and disorientation and know where to walk. We need to turn on the lights.

Psalm 119 says God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We need to turn it on, and that is done by opening the Bible, and not just reading it, but obeying it and applying it.

In a very real way, karate is the same. I can tell you how to sweep someone off their feet. I can teach you the terminology. I can describe the steps. But unless you physically practice those moves, you won’t be able to do them. And I might add that in the beginning we are awkward, slow, and ineffective, but with repeated practice we become stronger and more effective.

In the same way, we need to not just learn God’s laws, not just read them, but put them into practice. And we may be awkward or ineffective at first, but through practice we will get better at obeying and walking where God leads us.

That is one reason verse 106 is important. It says, “I have solemnly sworn to keep your righteous judgments,” or as The Voice translation says, “I have taken an oath and confirmed it. I pledge to do what You say is right and just.” That is a choice. I read the Bible. I understand what it says. I apply what I learn to my life. And I practice until I get it right.

If you can stand another karate reference, my sensei has a sign up at our dojo. It says, “Most people practice until they get it right. A champion practices until they cannot get it wrong.”

It’s hard work trying to live a godly life. We so often fall back to what is easy. We need commitment to obey God in our hearts as well as in our daily actions.

We all know that life is not easy. There are dangers and losses and fears and trials, along with great joys and satisfactions. God’s Word can guide and comfort us each step of the journey.

In verse 108, we ask God to accept our “freewill offerings of praise.” That too is an important part of walking this path. In the NIV, the word praise occurs in the Bible 340 times. How often have we read in the Psalms that David says he will praise God despite his fears, trials, and the dangers he faced? We need to make this habit of praise a big part of our prayer life and our Christian walk. Praise is not an optional part of our Christian life, it is commanded. Choosing to obey is also commanded, and committing to do that keeps us safe in God’s will.

Praise helps keep us focused on the light before us that shows us the next step. It makes us thankful. It reminds us how very big and very trustworthy our God is.

Trust is critical. When you use a flashlight at night, it only illuminates a small area. On a camping trip, the flashlight only shines so far. The dark pushes against the light. We only see a few steps ahead. It’s the same with God. He rarely shows us the big picture. More often, He asks us to move forward even though we can’t see exactly where we are going, only the step ahead. We need to trust Him, moving forward despite the uncertainty. The only certainty is that God can see where we are going.

I wonder why sometimes it is so hard to follow and trust that light in front of us. I think it is possible that the problem might be the opposite of nyctophobia, fear of the dark, and instead be photophobia, the fear of the light. You might wonder why someone would fear the light, but the light can reveal things we’d rather keep hidden.

Do you read your Bible? I certainly hope that you do. If you don’t, it’s pretty much like having a lamp but not plugging it in. Do you read it daily? And if you do read it daily, do you really pay attention? Do you maybe skim over things because you’ve read them so many times before? Do we treasure a few moments alone with God before we begin our day, or are we already thinking about what we need to do, where we have to go, what bills need to be paid, what we’re going to wear, what we’re planning for supper?

Do you think that sometimes we don’t want to think too much about whether God is watching us, that He notices the way we skim over the words we read or often do not even give Him a thought all day? Did He see you get impatient with the driver who pulled out in front of you? Did He notice? Am I sometimes unkind? Have I done something not quite ethical at work?

There are many things we do that we wish God wasn’t shining a light on. We want to follow the path He lights up for us, but sometimes we wish we could be out of the spotlight.

This psalm paints a clear picture: God’s Word is a light on my path. I promise to keep those laws. I offer praise willingly. I ask to be taught. I have troubles, but I do not forget where I am walking and who I’m walking with. I am committed to following and obeying God all my days.

The bottom line is this: we do not need to fear the darkness. No matter what, we have access to light. And we don’t need to fear what is revealed in the light because we have trusted Jesus, we are clean and forgiven, and we are walking the path chosen for us.