Yesterday evening I went for a night walk with my daughter. Most of our route was lit by streetlights but for a short stretch we were in pitch darkness. I couldn’t even see my own feet. It would have been easy to trip over, take a wrong turn or step on our black cat who had come along for the walk.

Isaiah refers to ‘people walking in darkness’ (9:2), by which he means those who live beyond God’s blazing light of love and life. Much later, John’s Gospel identifies Jesus as ‘the light of all mankind’ (1:4), and Paul in his letter to the Galatians urges people to be led by the Spirit. Here in Psalm 119, another central means of God’s guidance to us is celebrated: his Word, the Bible. The light it shines on our path is wisdom, insight and understanding (vs 98–100) and the ability to discern between good and evil behaviour (vs 101,104). 

There is absolutely no need for us to stumble around trying to figure out the way ahead. If we meditate on, memorise and practise what we read in God’s Word, we have all we need to set our course in a godly direction. 

Why do you read the Bible? When have you had an encounter with God through the Bible? Pray for that experience today.

If you’re a long-time friend of Scripture Union, you know verse 105 by heart. It is symbolised in the lamp logo on our letterheads, brochures and Bible-reading guides. Years ago I saw this verse used by another ministry – ‘They stole our verse!’ I thought. It sums up what faithful Christians, including those at SU, have believed for centuries. The Bible is truly a lamp of truth and a light of guidance in this sin-darkened world. Despite its familiarity, whenever I read that verse today, I’m reminded how thankful I am for Scripture Union and, more importantly, for the difference the Bible has made in my life. What response does it trigger in you?

There’s another very Scripture-Union-esque verse in our reading today, verse 97. Meditating on Scripture has been a best practice of faithful Christians through the ages and at SU we’ve made it a feature of our Bible-reading method. I once wrote a short piece for Christianity Today against making ‘through the Bible in a year’ the church’s default Bible-reading method. Sure, it’s a very good thing to do periodically to keep the big picture in view, but ultimately it’s not how much of the Bible we read each year that makes a difference, it’s how much we apply each day that counts. That’s why meditating on the Word is so valuable.

Sadly, research shows a significant drop in Bible reading over the past year, maybe because of the pandemic or because the divisiveness in our culture has crept into the church. It could be turned around if more people learned to approach reading the Bible not only as a daily discipline but also as a daily opportunity to experience the joy of meeting God ‘to the very end’ (vs 111,112). That perspective is the great gift SU has given me.

Do you think Christians overemphasise Bible study? How could you pass on your love for meeting God in his Word to others in your church?