OUR GUIDING LIGHT

Our Guiding Light

You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.

2 Samuel 22:29

READ 2 SAMUEL 22:26–30

At a museum, I lingered near a display of ancient lamps. A sign revealed they were from Israel. Decorated with carved designs, these oval-shaped clay vessels had two openings—one for fuel, and one for a wick. Although the Israelites commonly used them in wall alcoves, each was small enough to fit in the palm of a person’s hand.

Perhaps a little light like this inspired King David to write a praise song in which he said, “You Lord are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light” (2 Samuel 22:29). David sang these words after God gave him victory in battle. Rivals from both inside and outside his own nation had been stalking him, intending to kill him. Because of his relationship with God, David didn’t cower in the shadows. He moved forward into enemy confrontations with the confidence that comes from God’s presence. With God helping him, he could see things clearly so he could make good decisions for himself, his troops, and his nation.

The darkness David mentioned in his song likely involved fear of weakness, defeat, and death. Many of us live with similar worries, which produce anxiety and stress. When the darkness presses in on us, we can find peace because we know God is with us too. The divine flame of the Holy Spirit lives in us to light our path until we meet Jesus face to face.

By Jennifer Benson Schuldt

REFLECT & PRAY

God, please assure me of Your presence when I’m afraid. Help me to remember that You’ve defeated spiritual darkness through Your death and resurrection.

Why can you trust God to help you with your fears? What can you do to seek God’s guidance in your life?

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

Today’s passage is part of a longer song David wrote “when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (2 Samuel 22:1). This song was the exuberant celebration of a man who’d been “delivered” from years of running and hiding—both from enemies in other countries and from his own people. While we don’t know exactly how long David lived on the run, we know that he lived with the Philistines for sixteen months (1 Samuel 27:7). This is amazing considering his initial claim to fame was killing their champion (ch. 17).

To learn more about the time of David, visit christianuniversity.org/OT128-06. J.R. Hudberg