The Power of Example – Stepping in the Light

“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” I Corinthians 11:1

Every person has influence, and with that influence comes responsibility. If we lead someone down the wrong path, we are partly to blame for the error in their lives. All of us have been disappointed at some point in our lives by someone that we perceived to be a spiritual leader. Whether that person was widely-known or serving in obscurity, the spiritual effects of these kinds of disappointments can be disillusioning. Sometimes Christians respond by dropping out of church and refusing to have anything to do with organized religion. They become disenchanted and decide that since one person let them down, they can never rely on anyone again. They isolate themselves from all spiritual leadership. This kind of response is both unnecessary and unscriptural. Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth that they should follow him, but he added a qualifier that changes the dynamics substantially for anyone who is leery of following a spiritual leader because of past disappointments. Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” The test of any Christian leader is whether they are following after Christ, and the power of any Christian leader’s example is found in how closely the leader’s example matches the one that Christ left us. We should all be following Christ’s example, and we should be willing to follow our spiritual leaders who base their leadership on personally following Christ.

Morning: Psalms 129-131

Evening: I Corinthians 11:1-16

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

If you were to find yourself walking down a path in the dark of night with only an old-fashioned lantern to light the way, you wouldn’t be able to see very far ahead. You would be able to see just enough of the pathway to know which direction to take your next step and enough of the ground to choose the best place for your feet. When it comes to our daily lives, God’s Word is a lot like that lantern. It will not show us the whole path at once, but it is exactly what we need to help us decide how to take the next step.

The Bible is our source of spiritual light, and if we consistently seek God’s direction as we read from its pages, we will always have enough light for our next step along the pathway of life. It is then that we are, in the words of an old gospel song, “stepping in the light.”

The goal of this devotional guide is to encourage you to spend time in the Word of God each day. Reading the passages listed at the bottom of the page will take you all the way through the Bible in one year. The devotional thought for each day is taken from a text within that day’s reading, so even that small daily portion of reading will take you on a journey through God’s Word. It is my prayer that this guide would help you to walk closer to the Lord and that you will find yourself taking each step in the light of His Word.