A traveler’s light

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” — Psalm 119:105

Few preachers consistently move me like Elder Sonny Pyles. He is an old-school Primitive Baptist preacher from Texas. Until Sunday, he is preaching a meeting at Grace Primitive Baptist Church.

Elder Pyles began the meeting with a Thursday night sermon based on the above scripture. He talked about the “lights” of the Bible. His message, at its core, was rather simple and elementary. But the lesson was quite thought-provoking and — if taken to heart and applied — quite powerful.

The Traveler’s Light

Elder Pyles told the story of having to travel through the night from Tennessee to Texas, nearly 500 miles, to get to his mother who was gravely ill.

“I did not have 486 miles of light in front of me,” he said of his headlights. “I had maybe 300 feet of light. I had just enough to keep on traveling through the night.”

Elder Pyles’ point was that we are taught to take life a day at a time, that what we have been given in foreknowledge and understanding and wisdom offers us no real glimpse of what the future holds. But, if we live a life of Godly works and act as an example of righteous living toward others, then God will provide for us.

This speaks to not dwelling on the troubles of the past or worrying about the difficulties of the future — lessons that should be taken to heart by people of any faith. And it does not dismiss the idea of planning for the future. To not do so would be irresponsible toward our families and ourselves.

But to live simply for what we can control in the present is a smart idea, one of biblical grounding.

Night lights

Elder Pyles said the most important lights in his house are the night lights his wife has plugged in various places. They have saved him from breaking toes on many occasions.

Likewise, the Word of God, he said, can act as a night light for those who find themselves in the dark, lost from a righteous path of living.

Simple scriptures, like those found in Psalms or Ecclesiastes or Proverbs, can provide encouragement and strength and guidance. These books — along with any of the others — are filled with more than parables and commandments. They offer real substance in the realm of living a fruitful, productive, peaceful and loving life.

And when we find ourselves starved for positive influence and feelings, when we find ourselves feeling around in the dark, the Bible is the best place to turn.

Warning lights

Back to a car analogy. He told of an old friend whose “check engine” light kept coming on.

“I need to get that light fixed,” the old friend kept saying when he saw it come on. Of course, other things kept demanding his attention. Then one day, his car gave out on him and he ended up parked in front of this business.

When the old preacher friend went inside, he realized it was not the kind of establishment he should be visiting. (Elder Pyles did not say what kind of business it was, but I suspect a strip club or a bar of some sort.)

The lesson: Heed the many warning signs.

From my own personal experience, my conscience has warned me time and time again about certain paths I was taking. My gut told me not to do the things I was about to do. Fate would intervene with a reminder via a song on the radio that I was making a wrong decision.

Whatever you call it, God gives us warnings. The best set of warnings reside in the Bible. Again, the simplest, most practical of these are also the most powerful. (Don’t commit adultery, do not steal, live in a peaceful manner, etc.)

We will all fail, some of us worse than others. Thankfully, forgiveness can be ours. But we could also avoid the pain and strife caused by our mistakes if we would simply head the warning lights.

Simple truths are simple pleasures

It seems to me that as a society in general we often get so caught up in the things of this world that we miss the simple pleasures in life. The same can be said for many churches, who seem to be getting caught up more and more with the things of this world that they miss the simplest of lessons.

From my perspective, there is a certain irony to the newfound and growing worldliness of mega-churches, the same institutions that decry the worldliness of society as a plague. For certain, the simplicity in Elder Pyles’ message is a reminder of the simple truths the Bible has to offer.

And in those simple truths is a well lit pathway to a more fruitful life and a more pleasurable way of living.