and your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
(Proverbs 4:25-27)
Humanly speaking, we're always about 1/2 step away from making a disaster out of our lives. Now, I say "humanly speaking" because I know that God is sovereignly ruling, but part of His sovereign rule has been to give us practical words like these.
This world is first of all full of distractions, so part of the way we must keep our bearings is to look ahead to our destination. Watching young children gives you a picture of what this does not look like. This is why we hold their hands while walking through a busy parking lot or crossing the street. They are constantly looking this way and that with their feet following what their eyes see. While this is part of the natural beauty of a child and his curiosity, it paints a picture of what the unsteadied eyes of one's heart looks like and reminds us of the heavy traffic we could easily throw ourselves into.
We're told also to, in a matter of speaking, "watch your step." It's not enough to see the goal and head toward it. Walking through life is like walking through a forest on a path. There are roots, dens, perhaps even traps that we would not want to put a foot into. One wrong step can be disastrous.
Finally, life is often like a dark alley that we must walk through with sinister figures leaning up against a building here and sitting in a corner there, each one having something to offer the one who might step aside from his/her course. As quickly as our eyes light upon them and temptation rise up in our hearts, we must point our foot to pass them.
We must engage life today with God motivation, aiming at His pleasure and not our own. While we need not fear with the Spirit to guide and Christ as our example, we must also realize that one wrong turn can mean a slow and difficult road to recovery.
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