Faithful feet ∙
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105
Psalm 119:105-114
105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
106 I’ve promised it once, and I’ll promise it again: I will obey your righteous regulations.
107 I have suffered much, O LORD; restore my life again as you promised.
108 LORD, accept my offering of praise and teach me your regulations.
109 My life constantly hangs in the balance, but I will not stop obeying your instructions.
111 Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.
112 I am determined to keep your decrees to the very end.
113 I hate those with divided loyalties, but I love your instructions.
114 You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.
“Happy Feet,” a 2006 computer-animated musical comedy film, was directed, produced, and co-scripted by George Miller. The film features the vocal talents of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, and Hugh Jackman. The movie is about emperor penguins who find their soul mates through song. Every emperor penguin sings their unique song called a “Heartsong” to attract a mate. If the male penguin’s Heartsong matches the female’s Heartsong, the two penguins become mates. Norma Jean lays an egg that she entrusts to her mate, Memphis, while she joins the other females on a fishing expedition. Unfortunately, Memphis briefly misplaces the egg. The hatched chick, Mumble, is born with a terrible singing voice; he can barely sing at all. But worse yet, he doesn’t have a Heartsong. Without a Heartsong, Mumble may never make and find true love.
Surprisingly, Mumble possesses an ability none of the other penguins do – he can tap dance. None of the penguins had ever seen tap dancing before. Mumble’s dad, Memphis, says it “just ain’t penguin.” When Mumble becomes a young adult, his elders frequently ridicule him. Mumble is just too different – especially for Noah the Elder, the stern leader of the empire penguins. He banishes Mumble from the community.
Mumble finds companionship with a group of Adelie penguins known as “the Amigos,” who celebrate Mumble’s dance moves and warmly welcome him into their group.
When mating season arrives, Mumble falls for Gloria. Unable to express his feelings through a Heart Song, Mumble instead synchronizes his tap dancing with Gloria’s song. Touched by his unique expression of affection. She falls with him, and they join together, singing and dancing to “Boogie Wonderland.”
The naysayers voiced their opinions, asserting that Happy Feet “just ain’t penguin.” Happy Feet just don’t belong. But what about Faithful Feet?
What exactly are Faithful Feet? They are feet guided by the Word of God and follow the righteous path. As children of the King, having Faithful Feet should be one of our defining characteristics. But alas, Faithful Feet are almost as rare as Happy Feet among emperor penguins. Even though some of us might start life with certain challenges, it will never prevent us from developing Faithful Feet. It’s entirely up to us. We must desire Faithful Feet and actively seek them.
REFLECT & PRAY
“Left to ourselves, we often don’t know which way leads to life and which way ends in death; we remain in the dark. But God’s Word provides us with a searchlight to cut through the darkness and lead us to safety” (Stanley).
Father deep in my heart I long to follow You and live by Your Word. I made plenty of mistakes and failed; getting this right took me a long time. Guide me one “step” at a time.
INSIGHT
In the Old Testament, life is depicted as a journey along a path. How do the children of the King navigate the route the Father has laid out for them? The Father has given us His word as our compass.
Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
We live in a fallen world that is engulfed in darkness (John 1:5; 3:19; 12:46). How can we see our way in the darkness? “Only God’s light can guide us aright. Obedience to the Word keeps us walking in the light” (Wiersbe).
Darkness is the absence of light. Darkness is simply darkness. It never varies. Darkness continues when there is no light present. Yet, even the slightest glimmer of light can dispel the darkness. The greater the light, the less the darkness.
The people of ancient times didn’t have the modern lighting we enjoy today. Instead, they relied on small oil lamps for illumination. The lamps were small clay dishes resembling squashed teapots with a tiny wick. Their light pierced the darkness, moving forward with each step taken. But the light illuminated the path only one step ahead. Because of the darkness, the route ahead in the distance could not be seen. As a result, those who ventured out at night did so with extreme caution. They walked very circumspectly and slowly in order not to venture off the path.
This is how the Father intends for us to walk through life by faith, taking one step at a time. Every step of obedience, carried out by Faithful Feet, sheds light on the subsequent step. Gradually yet steadily, the children of the King reach their intended destinations along the path the Father intended.
The word of God is a light that illuminates our life’s journey. It offers wisdom and guidance for the children of the King to know how to live.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119 is Hebrew poetry. Hebrew poetry rhymes thoughts, not sounds. Thus, my feet and path are synonymous or parallel thoughts. They refer to proper behavior, conduct, and a way of life for every child of the King. The word God provides the truth needed for good moral decisions.
Faithful Feet are illustrated in the following prayerful words:
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.”
“But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road,
though I may know nothing about it.”
“Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone” (Thomas Merton).
At times, the children of the King have Fearful Feet rather than Faithful Feet. But as we walk through life following the word of God, our fear diminishes, and our faith grows. First, we make a conscious choice to desire Faithful Feet. Subsequently, we take the next step and start walking in submission and obedience to the word of God.
Do you walk in faith or fear? Remember, they are mutually exclusive and cannot coexist.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 11-10-1
© Dr. H 2024
Dr H Reflections 