Thy Word

Avalon's “Thy Word” sets Psalm 119:105 to melody and builds a short prayer around it. The refrain is the verse in the old wording, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet / And a light unto my path,” sung twice, then returned to after each verse. A late line adds a small change, “You're the light unto my path,” and moves from the book to the one it speaks about.

The verses supply the situation the verse is for. “When I feel afraid, / And think I've lost my way” comes with a quiet reply, “Still, You're there right beside me.” The next verse is more honest about the singer: “My heart forever is wandering,” and the answer is to ask that Jesus be guide and “hold me to Your side.” The request in both verses is the same, “Please be near me to the end,” which keeps the song a prayer for company and not only for direction.

Psalm 119:105 supplies the refrain, and the line “Nothing will I fear / As long as You are near” closely follows Psalm 23:4, where the valley is no longer frightening because the shepherd is with the speaker.