11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
Have you ever been walking down a hall, in public, and didn’t quite lift your foot high enough to where you stumbled? You immediately look around to see if anyone saw your ‘moment’. It is embarrassing to fall, to stumble. Sometimes it is due to our own clumsy walking, I always blame the floor – or those painted lines that jump up and grab you. Sometimes we stumble because our foot catches the edge of the rug or we trip on a cord. Most of the time when we are just walking and stumble, we are able to catch ourselves before we fall. However, when we decide to run and our foot catches a tree root or hits a stick on the trail, our speed and momentum make it nearly impossible not to fall. So the lesson here is simply never run and you won’t fall. Not an option for someone who loves to run. I would say the lesson is to make sure your running path is clear of obstacles. There is something about choosing the right path. If we decide to run late in the evening with little or no light on a trail in the middle of fall with leaves covered all over it, we are going to trip and fall. We need to choose the right path. Proverbs 4 teaches us to follow the path of wisdom, the straight path. If so we will not stumble or fall. If we choose the wrong path, the path of the wicked, then we will fall. Sometimes we may find ourselves running down a path and it gets dark, we are not sure of the footing. That is the time for us to slow down, to walk, or even stop and ask for God’s wisdom to lead and carry us through. May we seek God’s wisdom each day to light up our paths to allow us to run the race of life the way God has called us to run.
Matt