As I get older, I have noticed it is harder to hear what people are saying.  Sometimes it takes me longer to understand what is happening around me.

This is not unlike the feeling I have experienced when walking around my house or apartment in the dark.  I have to depend on memory to feel my way around.

This feeling of being in the dark or not quite understanding is not something only older people experience.  Any0ne can feel lost or confused at times.

When I was quite young, I remember the first time I saw a flashlight.  I was fascinated by its power to light up the dark.  The first time I received one as a gift, I couldn’t wait for night so I could use it to penetrate the dark.

The Bible is like a flashlight in that it gives us guidance and shows us the best way through life.  It reassures us that there is someone who hears desperate calls like the psalmist who wrote:

“Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.” (Psalm 5:8 NRSV)

Many years ago, while in the service, I was worried that I might be ordered to Vietnam where I would likely find myself in a combat situation.  I became so overwhelmed with worry that I went AWOL for a few days.  When I came back, I was given strong discipline from the Army (eg. extra duty, reduction in rank, forfeiture of pay).   While stumbling around in that self-imposed darkness, I was ordered to another company where I encountered a First Sergeant who gave me a second chance.  The new company was only one hundred yards away from the old, but the difference in atmosphere was like night and day.  I recovered by the grace of God and that First Sergeant.   From the depths of darkness it was a simple walk into the light again.

This personal testimony is only one of countless others like the psalmist who have experienced a Guiding Hand when they needed it most.   It makes a huge difference to believe this.