The Clarity of God’s Word
Scripture Reading — Psalm 119:97-105
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
After explaining something carefully to you, has someone ever asked, “Now, is that as clear as mud?” One wrinkle in the teaching of Scripture alone is the clarity and comprehensibility of the Bible’s meaning for human readers.
The Reformers believed that the church of their day had wrongly guarded Scripture by forbidding that it be translated into the common languages of the people and by claiming that only the clergy could interpret its true meaning. Starting with Martin Luther, the Reformers taught that God’s salvation plan in the Bible is clear to ordinary readers who put aside their own biases and depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps not everything in Scripture is perfectly clear, but the Bible is clear enough to give guidance for faith and life.
Today’s verse in Psalm 119 calls God’s Word a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. If you have the time, read all of Psalm 119. Using the Hebrew alphabet, this psalm lists from “A to Z” the weight, value, and clarity of God’s Word.
Although you may not understand everything you read in the Bible, if you put aside your biases and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and understanding, God’s Word will speak clearly to your heart. Then give thanks for his Word and put it into practice to please and serve him, today and every day.
Thank you, Lord, for your clear and excellent Word. By your Holy Spirit, guide my understanding as I read and listen so that I will find light for my path today. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Kurt Selles
Kurt Selles is the director of ReFrame Ministries and serves as the Executive Editor of Today. He is a graduate of Calvin College and Seminary, and received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to ReFrame, he served 19 years in Taiwan and China with CRC World Missions. Kurt later taught missions at Beeson Divinity School, where he also acted as the director of the school’s Global Center. Kurt and his wife, Vicki, reside in Grand Rapids and have three adult children.
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