Daily DevotionalCultivate the light within you each day this week.
January 8: The Light of God’s Word
- Scripture: Psalm 119:105 — Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
- Reflection: Consider how scripture and other widsom texts from the world’s faiths guide and illuminate our life’s journey. Perhaps you connect to a particular faith leader, poet, writer, musician or artist who helps illumine wisdom texts for you? Go back to the words that inspire their work. Look at the original text, Find a line or word there that sparks inspiration in you, too. Let these guides help you connect to the source text, the scripture or wisdom text, in a new way.
What focal point, what issue, what question is being highlighted on your path right now? Where is the text taking you? - Spiritual Discipline: Choose a phrase, word, or verse from the Bible or wisdom text — one word or line of text that resonates with you — and meditate on it throughout the day. What do you notice in your daily living, when you use that word or phrase as a lens?
SONGS:
- Thy Word by Amy Grant: https://youtu.be/9OTVuGaiTsE?si=cKvcHfTTHrAyBf5a
For a commandment is a candle, and the Torah is light Just as light always illuminates, so does the merit of the Torah stand for a person forever, but the merit of the commandment is only for a limited time, like the light of a candle. Another explanation: For a commandment is a candle, etc. The command of the father is a candle. Whoever fulfills the command of his father is as though he takes a candle in his hand to light a dark place, and if he loses anything there he finds it by its light… — Rashi on Proverbs 6:23:1
Though darkness gathers for a thousand eons.
A single light dispels it all.
Likewise, one moment of sheer clarity
Dispels the ignorance, evil and confusion of a thousand eons. — Buddhist
Pure it is, the light of lights. This is what the knowers of the Self know. The sun shines not there, nor the
moon and stars, there lightning shines not; where then could this fire be? This shining illumines all this world. — Hindu
Verily, for him who thus knows this Brahma—Upanishad, the sun does not rise or set. For him it is day for ever. — Hindu
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp,
The lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star,
Lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree,
Neither of the east nor of the west,
Whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire.
Light upon light.
Allah guides to His light whom He wills.
And Allah presents examples for the people,
and Allah is Knowing of all things.. — Islam
The light is neither inside nor outside the self. Mountains, rivers, sun, moon, and the whole earth are this light, so it is not only in the self. All the operations of intelligence, knowledge, and wisdom are also this light, so it is not outside the self. The light of heaven and earth fills the universe; the light of one individual also naturally extends through the heavens and covers the earth. Therefore, once you turn the light around, everything in the world is turned around. — Taoism
within every body
Is the Lord hidden;
within every body
Is His light.
Searching his body, his home,
By the master’s instructions one finds
the Name revealed within — Sikhism
O friends of God, verily the Pen of Sincerity enjoineth on you the greatest faithfulness. By the Life of God, its light is more evident than the light of the sun! In its light and its brightness and its radiance every light is eclipsed. We desire of God that He will not withhold from His cities and lands the radiant effulgence of the Sun of Faithfulness. We have directed all in the nights and in the days to faithfulness, chastity, purity, and constancy; and have enjoined good deeds and well-pleasing qualities. — (Abdu’l-Bahá, A Traveller’s Narrative, p. 46)