Your Word is Light


Psalm 119:105

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Notes

We are made righteous by the work of Christ. Because of him, we are cleansed from sin. We are a clean place suitable for the very presence of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture is God-breathed. The very Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit. God’s Word is a source of light for our souls.

When a Christian, having the presence of the Spirit, reads the words inspired by the Holy Spirit, there is a connection. Scripture sparks spiritual insights in the believer. Those sparks of insight can then be applied to our lives, resulting in spiritual growth and maturity. The light of Scripture will provide a lifetime of spiritual growth for the Christian. You read a passage as a young believer. You learn from the text and grow. Years later, when you are more mature spiritually, you read the same text and find new meaning. Learning something new that’s perfect for where you are on your journey with Christ.  Scripture, together with the Spirit, enables us to network with God.

Connect!

Symbols and numbers

Dove.  Again, the dove is the Christian symbol for the Holy Spirit.  The reference came from the baptism of Jesus when the Spirit descended from heaven like a dove.  The circle of light around the head of the doves, a nimbus, tells us that the dove represents a member of the Trinity.

Tablets.  These are a symbol for the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  An example is the painting by Cosimo Rosselli, Handing Over the Tablets of the Law, found in the Sistine Chapel.

Scroll.  Here I am using the scroll as a symbol for the Old Testament.  It can also be used as a symbol for the writings of the Old Testament Prophets and authors.

Book.  Here I am using an open book as the Christian symbol for God’s Word, also known as the Bible.  In the hands of an Apostle, the book symbolizes the New Testament, for example, Giovanni di Paolo’s painting, St. Luke the Evangelist.

Theological deep dive

In John 8, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

During the Transfiguration, the disciples observed Jesus’ nature morphing from man to God.  But there’s more to him being the light of the world besides being a literal light source. At the incarnation, human nature was added to Jesus’ divine nature.  His divine nature was not diminished.  This combining of essences is referred to as the hypostatic union.  Because he is both God and man, Jesus is ideally suited to provide us with life-giving intellectual and spiritual understanding.

Again, at the Transfiguration, the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

When we listen to Christ, we are “transformed by the renewal of our minds.” That is, we morph. Our behavior and our lives are transformed. We steadily become brighter and more spiritually beautiful as we are changed into Christ-like individuals.

As the Father said, “listen to him.”

The Christian Mandalas devotional coloring journal containing this drawing page may be found here:

Christian Mandalas: The Art of Journaling 2: A Devotional Coloring Journal