July 5 - White Cane
July 5
White Cane
Bible Reading: Psalms 119:97-101
97Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for your commands are my constant guide. 99I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. 100I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. 101I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.
HAVE YOU EVER seen a person who is blind walking down the street? How did that person know where to go, when to stop, and when to turn? Many blind people use a white cane.
A white cane can become an amazing tool in the hands of a man or woman who really knows how to use one. Some people who are blind can walk as well and as quickly as someone with perfect eyesight because they've mastered the use of the white cane. The sight-impaired person can tell by the way the cane bounces whether he's on a sidewalk or grass or a path. The sound of the cane's tapping against the ground changes when the person approaches large objects like a wall or a building. The sound of the cane announces a sudden drop-off, like a curb, or even a small obstacle, like a tricycle or a roller skate.
Using a white cane to find your way is kind of like using God's Word. God's Word warns us of things that can trip us up or hurt us, just as a cane warns a blind person of obstacles in his or her path.
Of course, you don't carry a Bible with you all the time, do you? And sometimes there's just no time to thumb through the Bible looking for answers, right? Most of the time, you can't even find what you're looking for, right? That's why it's so important to memorize God's Word. When you memorize a verse of the Bible,
• it's always available when you need it;
• you're never caught without the tools you need to make a right choice; and
• it's a lot easier to go the right way without hesitating or stumbling.
So why not start--one verse at a time--to hide God's Word in your heart and mind so that it can guide you, even in the dark? Make the following verse your motto: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105, NIV). After all, a white cane isn't much help if it's left at home, right?
REFLECT: How is God's Word like a white cane? The above paragraphs mention three reasons why it's important to memorize Bible verses. What are they? You may be surprised at how many Bible verses you already know, such as John 3:16 and Matthew 6:33. How many others can you think of?
ACT: Read Psalm 119:105 (see above) out loud ten times (including the reference). Then try to say it without reading it. You might be able to repeat it word for word, without looking at the book. If you can, congratulations! You've just memorized Psalm 119:105.
PRAY: "Help me, Father God, to hide Your Word in my heart and to obey it each day."