The Way We Walk

Proverbs 21:8 (NKJV)“The way of a guilty man is perverse; but as for the pure, his work is right.”

This proverb reminds me of something Jesus said in Matthew 7:13–14 about the wide road and the narrow road.

Jesus said that the wide road is broad and easy to travel, but it leads to destruction. The narrow road is more difficult, but it leads to life.

When we think about these two roads, we are reminded that life is really about the direction in which we are walking.

The broad road allows us to wander. We can go wherever our feelings take us, follow whatever seems right in our own eyes, and make decisions without asking God what He wants. We may not even realise that we have wandered, because the road is wide and there are many people travelling in the same direction.

But the narrow road is different.

Those who are living for God have a direction. They may stumble along the way, they may have moments when they struggle, and sometimes they may even lose their footing—but their heart is set on following Christ. They keep coming back to the right path.

That is why this proverb is so challenging.

How often do we measure the tracks of our lives?

Perhaps we need a “wander test.”

• Am I slowly wandering away from God?

• Have my priorities changed?

• Have I become comfortable with things that once troubled my conscience?

• Am I making decisions based more on what I want than on what God says?

And then there is the “straight test.”

• Is my life becoming more aligned with God's Word and His will?

• Are my choices reflecting Christ?

• Is my character becoming more like Jesus?

• When I make a mistake, do I humble myself and get back on the right path?

The pure person spoken of in Proverbs is not someone who has never made a mistake. It is someone whose heart is turned toward God and whose life is being brought into alignment with Him.

The question is not simply, “Am I on a road?”
The question is, “What road an I on, and where is it taking me?”

Because we can be busy, successful, religious, and surrounded by people—and still be wandering.

But when we walk with Jesus, He always gives us direction!

There will be times when the narrow road feels difficult. There will be times when doing what is right costs us something. There will be moments when the easier choice is to step off the path.

But God's way is always worth following.

So today, perhaps we should pause and examine the tracks we are leaving behind.

Am I wandering, or am I walking straight?

And if we discover that we have wandered, there is good news:

• God is not waiting to condemn us, because He is a gracious God.

• He is calling us back ... back to repentance, and back to Him.

• His grace meets us on the road.

• His Word corrects our direction.

• His Spirit leads us gently.

And Jesus reminds us that the narrow way, is the way that leads to life.

I pray it speaks deeply to the hearts of those who hear it. Sometimes the simplest question-“Am I wandering, or am I walking straight?”-can really make us stop and examine our walk with the Lord!

May our prayer be:

“Lord, keep my feet on Your path. When I begin to wander, draw me back. When the right way is difficult, give me strength to keep walking. Let my life, my choices, and my work be right before You.” Amen!