Last week, I visited the Archaeological Park in Paphos and encountered a beautiful sight, the Paphos Lighthouse.
The lighthouse was built in 1888 under British rule in order to guide ships to the safety of Paphos harbour. The 20m high tower has a single gallery and lantern, which flashes every fifteen seconds and overlooks the Faros Beach.
A lighthouse is an inspiring symbol of hope, refuge, safety, security and strength. Without it, many ships would flounder and run aground on the rocky seabed. The guiding light ensures the ship's path is illuminated by the powerful flashes, aiding it to find its way safely to the harbour.
The Psalmist David, in his great meditation on the excellencies of God's Word, wrote:
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
The Bible is God's guidance for life on earth. It is not simply a book of rules full of 'do nots', but is an account of the human story from creation to the end, with a revelation of God's heart and plan to redeem us. Light and hope emanate from His Word in the midst of a dark, chaotic world. It illuminates our walk by revealing what is in us and what God's standard requires:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
Just as the powerful lantern of the lighthouse sweeps the dark, murky waters of the ocean and highlights danger, the Word of God gives warning and directs our path away from spiritual shipwreck. There may be other flickering lights visible from the coastline, but the captain looks to the lighthouse for the one, true guiding light. We too should look to the one, true light of God's Word for safe navigation to Heaven's shores.
