Boundless

Lake Murray, SC

“But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” Proverbs 4:18

To walk with the Lord is not merely a matter of doing what He says and abstaining from the things He prohibits; rather, it’s a matter of growing in the grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18) of who He is.  We’re not walking a path of righteousness towards the Light, we’re walking in the Light, and as we walk in His light we’re seeing and interacting with the world around us through a Gospel lens.  As the renowned psychologist Jordan Peterson once said, and I paraphrase, Scripture is the meta truth of all truth, and it’s through the lens of Scripture that we see the reality of the world around us.  He would even go so far as to question if we’re really seeing reality if we’re not viewing it through a Biblical lens?  I would say we’re certainly not seeing it, or ourselves, properly. The great thinker and writer CS Lewis would also say, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it but because by it, I see everything else.”  To study and pour into Scripture is not a never ending intellectual exercise of splitting hairs on countless details to gain knowledge, but rather, studying Scripture is communing with Him and allowing the Spirit to illumine and enliven layer upon layer, and depth upon depth of His truth.  As we grow in the grace and knowledge of who He is, we also grow in our vision of the reality of the world around us, and we increasingly reflect His light to the world around us. 

In the words of the 18th century preacher and Bible commentator, Matthew Henry, “Christ is their way and He is the Light.  They are guided by the word of God and that is a light to their feet; they themselves are light in the Lord and they walk in the light as he is in the light.  It is as the morning light, which shines out of obscurity and puts an end to the works of darkness.  It is a growing light; it shines more and more, not like the light of a meteor, which soon disappears, or that of a candle, which burns dim and burns down, but like that of the rising sun, which mounts upward shining.  It will arrive, in the end, at the perfect day.”

As a closing thought, there’s a verse in Scripture that really speaks to the ever-brightening path we walk.  Psalm 119:96 says, “To all perfection I see a limit, but your commands are boundless.”  In the world, there’s a limit to all perfection.  We accomplish ‘the ultimate’, whatever that may be, and we’re ultimately left despairing because there’s nothing left. It seems the suicide rate among teenagers might be a testament to this; in 18 or so short years of life, many have experienced ‘the ultimate’ of far too much.  Sex, fancy cars, disposable income, social media fame, and more.  As the former apologist, Ravi Zacharias said, most of the world is not weary of pain, but rather, we’re weary of pleasure.  The Greatest Generation endured the greatest pains of any recent generation, and they became strong, formidable members of society.  The generations after have lived in relative ease, and the suicide rate is the highest since WWII. 

However, ‘BUT GOD’! For the life lived hidden in Christ and walking in accordance with His ways, there’s a perpetual novelty of the good gifts He’s given, and a boundlessness of purpose and joy and growth in our relationship with Him.

“Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.” Joshua 1:7

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6