I grew up in a very rural area. Our house was surrounded by 16 acres of heavily wooded land. We had a few trails through the forest, but their maintenance was patchy. Sometimes the trail’s path was overgrown or just petered out. But I still loved to hike off into the trees to see what I would see.

Occasionally I would worry about getting lost. But despite the lack of well-marked or groomed trails, our forest had a couple of special ways to overcome being lost.

One way was to stop and listen for the dim sound of a freeway that passed a mile or so away from one edge of the property. As long as traffic was humming, I could usually get a general sense of which way was north.

I discovered the second way of avoiding disorientation one evening when it started to get dark much sooner than I expected. I had been climbing trees or watching ants in a huge anthill or something else equally absorbing to a child when I suddenly realized I could barely see what I was doing. I didn’t really know where I was, and the freeway traffic had died down. It was barely perceptible.

My fun forest suddenly became a frightful warren of tree trunks and brambles. I panicked a little, in this era before cell phones.

Then I saw it. A beacon. There, and then gone, there, and then gone again. White, then green, then white, and green again.

Through the trees I could see reflections from the glimmer of the nearby regional airport’s rotating beacon. It was several miles away but bright enough to light up the dark sky. Relieved, I got my bearings and headed toward home.

“Nations will come to your light, and kings to your shining brightness.” (Isaiah‬ ‭60‬:‭3,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

God has lovingly provided a beacon in our figurative darkness too. When I feel like my life doesn’t make sense, and I lose sight of what matters, God is always available to shine His light on the right path for me — the one that leads to Him. I have to stop whatever I’m doing, recognize my helplessness, and turn to Him with humility, obedience, and trust. His light is so bright, I cannot escape it. And it is always there for me. But I need to look up to see it.

Dear God, thank you for your word and your ever-present brilliant light of love. Forgive me for thinking I know the way, and remind me to look up constantly to make sure I am always treading the right path. Your word is a lamp to my feet.