Contemplative Bible Reading

Proverbs 4:25-27 (New Living Translation)

25 Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.
27 Don’t get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.

There is an old expression (I heard it 40 years ago), “Plan your work; work your plan.”

The above verses are probably the source of that old expression. I supposed there are many phrases in the Bible that could be a source of that old expression.

Except these instructions in Proverbs are not about planning work and working to the goal of a plan. I believe that these are about something far more important. These phrases are about wisdom and judgement concerning righteousness and evil. These are far more important than project planning and management.

The last words of the proverb shows that. “keep your feet from following evil.”

I think of my marriage. I fixed my eyes on what was ahead—the rest of my life with the wife given to me by God. There was a path to life-long marriage. It is a straight path for my feet. I stay on the path each day, each step. I do not become sidetracked. With the blessings and grace of God, I remain on that path.

There are many other parts of life that I can apply this wisdom. Time does not allow writing all of them. Please God, each day, each step, keep my on the straight path. Bar me from sidetracks.