Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. PSALM 43:3 (NLT)

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Give me your lantern and compass,
give me a map,
So I can find my way to the sacred mountain,
to the place of your presence.

The Message

Fred Craddock is a man whose preaching I can listen to for hours and hours with delight. He is a wonderful storyteller. Every preacher needs to read his book simply entitled, Preaching. It is full of wit and wisdom.

Craddock spoke at Southwestern Seminary when I was a student there. Dr. Jim Denison, who writes a daily commentary on faith and culture at the Denison Forum (denisonforum.org), was a young professor in those days. He introduced Dr. Craddock by saying, “I wanted to invite you to speak to my church, but I didn’t want them to think you stole my sermons.”

Think about it.

Craddock was a professor who attempted to train preacher boys how to communicate clearly and effectively. He tells about a student of his who was speaking in preaching lab and told a story about how he and his family were returning home one evening from visiting friends well out in the country. Their car broke down in the middle of nowhere. (This was in the time before cell phones, obviously.)

As he began walking down that dark road looking for a home where he could seek assistance, he saw two headlights coming toward him in the distance: light and truth.

It does not take an expert in storytelling or preaching to notice the violation perpetrated there.

The unnamed poet of Psalm 43, unless it is King David and this is a continuation of Psalm 42, says, “Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me.” Dark days require illumination. Uncertain times demand truth.

We live in such times.

We also have such a Guide. Listen to Eugene Peterson’s masterful paraphrase: “Give me your lantern and compass, give me a map.” This sounds like another of David’s songs: “Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul,” (Ps. 143:8 NIV 1984).

We need light. We need a compass. We need a map. We need a Guide.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” (John 8:12).

Jesus said, “I am the way,” (John 14:6).

Jesus said, “I am the truth,” (John 14:6).

Jesus said, “I am the life,” (John 14:6).

Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd,” (John 10:11).

When all you have is Jesus, you discover that Jesus is all you need. This is not an original thought, but it has been proved true generation after generation.

This is the best time of your life so far to get to know Jesus for who he really is. This is the best week of the year to contemplate why he came. This is the best time ever to fully embrace the cross and the resurrection.

Have you seen the light? Do you know the truth?

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I will live in the light of God’s illumination and truth.

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Our Father, show us the way we should go, for to you we lift up our souls. Thank you that you provide all the light we need. Thank you that your every word is true. Thank you that in such uncertain times that we can depend on you. Amen.