Flashlight Faith: Trusting God to Light the Way
Key Passage: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105, NIV)
Key Message: Like a flashlight on a dark trail, God's Word provides enough light for the next step. We don't need to know what lies ahead when we trust the One who leads the way.
I spent many hours interviewing my father in his final years for a keepsake book of his life story. We talked a lot about his faith, which ran deep. When he reflected on his journey with Jesus—spanning eight decades—he said it wasn’t always clear what God was doing in many seasons because the pathway was neither straight nor easy. But in retrospect, he saw clearly how the Lord led every single step of the way.
My father described a pivotal shift in his walk with Jesus when he embraced what he called “flashlight faith.” God gave the concept to my dad when he was a student attending a college retreat at Forest Home in California’s San Bernadino Mountains. The Christian conference center has a pathway, a “Walk of Faith,” that meanders next to a stream where a series of Bible verses are carved on signs along the way. The trail ultimately leads to a lake where students gathered around a campfire every night.
Running late one night, my dad was forced to walk the pitch-dark route alone. “Because it was so dark and the path was narrow and full of tripping hazards, I kept my flashlight focused on my feet and the dirt right in front of them,” he said. “My flashlight’s beam only lit up a few feet of the trail at a time as I moved forward.” Not long into the journey, as fear of getting lost in the darkness crept in, his flashlight illuminated Psalm 119:105, which was carved into a boulder:
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
That moment fundamentally changed my father’s view of faith. He explained to me, with awe and excitement in his voice, “I stopped in my tracks and realized the beam of light on that verse symbolized how we are to live out our faith: dependent on God to light the way. His Word guides our steps as we move forward through life. We must trust His Light in a fallen, dark world!”
That story stuck with me. (And it seemed fitting to share in honor of Father’s Day.) It reminds me that those of us who believe in Christ don’t need to see where the path leads or worry about the twists and turns ahead. Nor should we be afraid or distracted by what lies in the darkness beyond our sight. (When that is our focus, we tend to either freeze in fear or run back to what feels safe.)
We are to trust the One who created light to show us the way, knowing the lit path leads to Jesus and our ultimate destination: heaven, where darkness is forever defeated and the Light reigns eternally.
And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:5, ESV)
I don’t know about you, but I need to practice some flashlight faith right now. My family and I are oppressed with some scary and dark circumstances right now as we wait for the results of our daughter’s latest scan which will reveal if the current chemo regiment is working to shrink the new tumors on her liver and one lung.
In addition, my husband and I must make some monumental, life-changing decisions this summer about our future.
Admittedly, I’ve spent a lot of time working through all the “possible” scenarios. But the truth is, the future is unknowable. All we can do is pray for God’s guidance and make decisions based on the small part of the path He has illuminated before us. Then, we must take the next step in faith, trusting God’s Word to light the next bit of our journey, day-by-day.
When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, we don’t need to worry about all the “what-ifs” because we know and trust the One who holds our future in His hands.
A dear friend recently gifted me a sign that reads, “I trust the next chapter because I know the Author.” It reminds me how my story will eventually end: God wins, and I will be with Jesus. The chapters of my story, from this day to that one, are unknown. But here’s the good news! The chapters of God’s redemption story in the Bible are fully known to us. God’s Wordis a lamp for my feet and a light to my path.
Dear sister, is darkness surrounding you? Fear about what’s ahead frightening you? The unknown future causing paralysis of analysis? World events overwhelming you? Doomscrolling dominating your days? It’s time to practice “flashlight faith.”
Let the Word of God be a lamp to your feet and take your next step in faith. Trust God to illuminate your path, lighting the way one step at a time.
As a fun application, open your Bible (a physical one) to John 8:12. Then, turn on your phone’s flashlight app and use it to light up that verse to remind you—and emphasize—that Jesus is the light of the world!
My dad went to be with Jesus seven years ago this month. I miss him, but I am grateful for the legacy of faith he left behind. I’m honored to pick up the torch of faith and share the Light with others.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads—those who are still with us and those in the presence of Jesus.
Epilogue:
Two years ago, my sister and I attended a women’s retreat at Forest Home and walked the very path my father did decades ago. We found the boulder that our father’s flashlight illuminated all those years ago and each took a stone from the stream to keep as a reminder. For it is also the very spot where our dad proposed to our mom a year after his flashlight faith moment. God is good!
Prayer
Father, thank You for being the Light that guides my path. When the future feels uncertain, help me trust You for the next step instead of worrying about what lies ahead. Let Your Word be a lamp to my feet, and give me the faith to follow You one day at a time. Keep my eyes fixed on Your Son, Jesus, the Light of the World. Amen.
Reflection & Application
Where do you need "flashlight faith" right now? What dark or uncertain circumstance is tempting you to fear, worry, or freeze in place?
How has God faithfully guided you through a difficult season in the past, and how can remembering His faithfulness strengthen your trust in Him today?
What next step of obedience, trust, or surrender is God asking you to take today, even if you can't yet see where the path ultimately leads?