I believe that heat and humidity come to die in South Carolina each July. I have been working in the Palmetto State for the past two days. It’s a beautiful place, especially the coast. But the air is so thick you could cut it with a knife.

I had to be at a breakfast meeting today at 6:45 am. I had decided to get in a quick run around the hotel before breakfast, so I headed out of my room around 5:00 am. I was taken aback at the humidity even at this early hour, but I was even more surprised by the darkness. Pitch black. There wasn’t a hint of sunrise as I started my run, but I eventually found the pathway that circled the hotel complex and began to plod down the trail.

It was dark. There were very few lights along the trail, so each step was taken with caution and a bit of trepidation. The hotel had placed small guide lights along the trail about every 1/8 of a mile, so my strategy was to simply run- carefully- from light to light.

About a ½ mile into my run I spotted a sign that warned visitors to watch for alligators crossing the path. This was a bit unnerving- as I was now painfully aware of the opportunity to run upon a reptile in the darkness.

It was a dark world this morning. There were numerous obstacles along the pathway…fallen limbs from yesterday’s winds, large pools of water from an overnight downpour, and the threat of angry, hungry reptiles. It probably wasn’t smart for me to venture out into the darkness, but I went anyway.

I was reminded about the larger, greater darkness we encounter in this world each day. Stress, strife and sin can cloud our judgment and keep us from seeing (and thinking) clearly about our purpose and our daily walk with Christ.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

The Bible. God’s own word. We’ve been given this ultimate guidebook to navigating our way through life. We have the ultimate light to help us focus on how to live our lives, how to treat people and how to persevere through tough times. It’s up to us to seek this wisdom. The more we read and study- the more clear our path will be.

Let’s encourage one another to read and reflect on the wisdom of the Bible. It’s the ultimate illumination device.

God bless.