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Proverbs 4 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
As a kid, I remember going down to the beaches of Florida for our family vacations. One particular trip, we were vacationing along with extended family. My cousin and I decided right when we arrived that we would immediately hit the beach and begin walking down the coast. As soon as we had put our suitcases in the room, we were off.
We walked for miles, taking in the many sights and sounds of the ocean. We talked as we looked side to side at the seagulls, the seashells and the people enjoying time together in the sun. After what seemed like only a few minutes, my skin began to feel hot. Our pale white Indiana skin was getting scorched. We turned to look back at how far we had come and we realized we couldn’t even see our condo! Needless to say, by the time we made it back, we were lobsters. The many sights and sounds on the path we were walking had kept us distracted from the distance we had traveled.
“Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. 26 Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. 27 Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.”
Proverbs 4:25-27 HCSB
The life of a believer is not characterized by wandering aimlessly. Look at the instruction. We are encouraged to fix our eyes forward. The path of Christ has goals and checkpoints. Though it is a constant pursuit, we do not take our eyes off of Him. We may stumble or get momentarily distracted, but our gaze must return straight ahead to the calling of Jesus.
Carefully consider the path you are on. This is a call for self-awareness. How far have you traveled and where are you headed? The path metaphor is understood in terms of our daily decision making. Maybe we don’t think in those terms? The decisions you make today will take you down a path. They will take your family and others who are following you down that same path.
When we let our feet and eyes draw us away from the path God has established, we are walking in foolishness. Wisdom is taking into consideration where we are headed in life and who we are focused on during that journey.