READ: PSALM 23; ROMANS 8:28-29; JAMES 1:5

My dog, Gibson, wakes me up very early every morning. Some mornings I just feed him, and other mornings I take the time to let him outside. But either way, it’s still dark when we get up. Because the rest of the family is still asleep, I often leave the lights off. The problem is, then I can’t see—and my mom is constantly rearranging furniture, so I can’t memorize my surroundings. So, I rely on Gibson to lead me through the house, assuming he’ll direct me around the corners, couch edges, and table legs.

Unfortunately, Gibson is not a good lead dog—especially in the dark. Especially when he’s hungry. So I end up walking into walls and stubbing my toes on furniture. My mom and I were talking about this, and she mentioned how often we put our trust in the wrong things. We put our trust in ourselves, our money, our education, our work, and other people. Many of the things we rely on can flip, leaving us out to dry. And many of the people we rely on may not have our best interests at heart— just like Gibson would rather get to his food dish faster, and sacrifice my big toe, than slow down and guide me.

Thankfully, God is not like that. Jesus is God the Son, and He is the Light of the World (John 8:12). He came into the sin and darkness of our broken world to bring us hope. Jesus taught us many things, and ultimately He died and rose again to save us from sin. Now, God the Father has sent God the Holy Spirit to guide all who trust in Jesus. He will never lead us astray. God has our best interests at heart (Romans 8:28). He is not going to trick and rob us. He lights our dark path. He won’t ram us into a couch because he wants breakfast. • Natty Maelle

• Have you ever been in a place where you couldn’t see where you were going? Have you ever had to rely on someone else to guide you? What was that like?

• Do you feel like there’s an area of your life where you’re walking in darkness, and you need guidance? Consider spending some time talking to God about this in prayer.

• James 1:5 tells us God generously gives wisdom to everyone who asks, and He does so through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). According to James 3:13-18, how can we recognize God’s wisdom? Who are trusted Christians you can talk to about this?

• If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 146:3-7; Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34; John 1:4-5; 10:1-30; 14:26; 16:13; Colossians 1:13-15.

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 (NLT)