Swerve. This week has involved too much swerving in one respect, and not enough swerving in another.
Almost every day this week I have tried to get up for my quiet time, only to get a few minutes into it and have my time with God cut short for one reason or another. And I've felt the effects of missing that time. Actions...attitudes...I've felt the effects.
And so I woke up this morning with this picture in my mind of a path. A path I wasn't on--but should have been. I was actually standing to the right of it.
Enter Proverbs 4. Today is September 4th, so today was the day to read the 4th Proverb. Which, apparently, is the chapter all about paths. Of course, right? :)
"Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil" (v. 27).
I've swerved by wasting time in the evenings.
I've swerved by not protecting my time with God.
I've swerved by forgetting to seek Him on some matters.
Sometimes when we swerve, we end up crashing into something off the path.
And then I haven't swerved when I should have: "Do not set your foot on the path of the wicked--avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way" (vv. 14-15):
I haven't swerved when I let my guard down and watched a movie on TV that is hilarious, but questionable (at best) in some of its content.
I haven't swerved when I was tempted to put myself first when it comes to my family.
And sometimes when we're on the wrong path and we don't swerve, we end up crashing into something that was on that wrong path.
Lord, strengthen our feet to stay on the paths you desire for us. And keep our feet far from the way they will inevitably end up taking if we don't remain in You.
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, and is certain, confirmed, firm, and fitted for us.
But the way of the wicked is like thick darkness and gloominess;
They do not know what makes them stumbled, fall, decay, and be cast down."
Proverbs 4:18-19
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