DEVOTION: Walking In The Light by Leila Halawe

Recently a friend and I decided to participate in a charity fun run. It’s an annual event held at night in a popular park area in Sydney with some breathtaking views, and as such, it tends to attract a few thousand people. As it was a night event, each participant was given a headlamp to wear to ensure they could see in the darker parts of the park. I had been to this park before and knew it well, and I didn’t really think I needed the headlamp, but I decided to wear it anyway.

The race started and I excitedly set off with my friend, confident and ready to race to the finish line. However before long, I found myself slightly tripping over things unseen on the running track and just barely keeping myself upright. I was being jostled left and right by the other runners that had packed into the park, making it hard for me to see the track or where I was stepping. I kept looking down to see if I could sidestep the obstacles but it was too dark to really see anything, so I readjusted my headlamp and centred it so that when I looked down, it shone directly in front of my feet. For the remainder of the race, I relied on my headlamp to light the path at my feet and I was able to finish the race without any further stumbles or injuries, as I was able to see exactly where the branches and dips were and run around them.

Our walk with God can sometimes be like a run in the dark. We occasionally get confident in our own ability and think that because we’ve been somewhere, or encountered something before, we can navigate it alone. We rely on our own earthly eyes to see what’s in front of us and think that we know where we are going, only to catch ourselves stumbling over something or falling over altogether. I know for me, there has been many a time when I have relied on myself, confident in my own ability to manage something, only to find myself stumbling and crying out for God before I hit the ground. 

It’s only when we rely completely on God that we can navigate through the twists and turns of life without fear of tripping on unseen obstacles. Psalm 119:105 reads, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” and that is exactly what walking with God is like; a light shining in the darkness directing us where to go. God sees what we don’t and He wants nothing more than for us to rely on His eyes and His light to guide us. Our walk with God isn’t always easy; we don’t always see what’s up the road and walking into the unknown can be somewhat frightening and unnerving. However, if we just follow the light that He is shining, if we just keep our eyes fixed on Him and keep our mind on His Word, we can be confident that we are walking on the right path and not headfirst into the trees.

Leila Halawe is a Sydney based coffee loving nonfiction writer and blogger. She has published a mini devotional and shares her life via Looking In (www.misslays.com), a blog about being a carer for parents with cancer, drinking coffee and random ramblings. You can connect with Leila via Facebook at Leila Halawe Author (https://www.facebook.com/misslays/) and via Twitter at Leila Halawe (@LHalawe).