God’s Word is a Lamp!

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.

Scripture nowhere says “Thy word is a map unto my feet”.  It does not pretend that revelation is an all-encompassing  Explanation of All Life’s Mysteries.  And so, Scripture is remarkably silent about what God is up to in creating animals, for instance.  We are told little about particle physics, or whether there are aliens on other worlds, or how to make a fortune at dice, or what the timeline of history will be.  All these are important bits of information which, presumably, Omniscience could share with us if it chose. But Omniscience has wisely chosen not keep us posted on this because—to put it simply—we don’t need to know.  What we need to know is the bit that has been revealed, a bit nicely summed up in the Nicene Creed and which we obey one day at a time with the little bit of light and grace we receive each day.  This is why we pray for our “daily” bread and not for a gigantic lifetime supply of bread to be dumped on our heads all at once.  It’s the lesson of the manna: we get enough.  No more and no less.  Today, receive the light that is sufficient for you to see the path at your feet.  Leave the rest to God.  Do not worry about tomorrow.  Tomorrow will take care of itself.

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Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.

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