Proverbs 4:25-27 

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. ²⁶Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. ²⁷Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Snow Driving

Winter is here. No one can stop snow fall. We have to adjust even when driving.

How do you like driving during snowfall? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it? Are you comfortable driving during snowfall? It’s good! Drivers slow down during winter. Winter season is not friendly to reckless drivers; loud fancy cars are absent on snowy streets.

Inattentive drivers are magnets to accidents. During stops on icy roads, hold the wheel and make sure the vehicle is positioned straight ahead. A slight twist of the wheel may cause the vehicle to swerve and skid in the direction of the wheel, right or left. Similarly, life in this world has many stops. Stops may slow down our momentum. It is advisable be attentive and keep our focus straight to our eternal destination – heaven.

After Moses gave the commandments to the Israelites, he warned them to be careful in their obedience to the Lord. He said in Deuteronomy 5:32-33, ³²Be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. ³³Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.

Disobedience to the Lord is compared to turning to the right or to the left and not necessarily turning back. Godly commands are a straight path to blessed life. Agree?

1.  Straight

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

The phrases, “Look straight ahead and gaze directly,” imply attentiveness to God.

The shortest path you can take to reach your destination is straight path, agree? To look straight ahead is fundamental to driving. To frequently glance at any direction other than gazing straight ahead is flirting accidents. Be alert! A vehicle before you may suddenly stop. Be ready to hit the brake or you will be too late. During heavy traffic, it is best to be attentive and not distracted, or you will miss opportunities to overtake.

Using cellphone has been prohibited while driving because it certainly distracts drivers. Indeed, many road accidents happened when drivers used cellphones and did not pay attention to road situations or other possible circumstances that require focus.

We are commanded to look straight ahead and fix our eyes directly before us. Naturally, our tendency is to be distracted and glance at attractive things. We can be easily distracted also when we entertain probabilities of taking shortcuts. We do not simply disregard enticing situations surrounding us. It also happened in Biblical times.

It narrated in Judges 2:10-15, ¹⁰After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. ¹¹Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. ¹²They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger ¹³because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. ¹⁴In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. ¹⁵Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

The Israelites who were born in Canaan were enticed by worldly worship of Baal. They may have assumed that they were powerful enough to scare away their enemies. Surrounding nations didn’t bother them when their ancestors were still alive. They did not believe that God kept them safe, and the Lord didn’t help them in their troubles.

In comparison, the previous generation of Israelites who crossed the Jordan River was very dependent on the Lord. Before Joshua died, he instructed the Israelites and reminded them in Joshua 23:3-6, ³You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. ⁴Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. ⁵The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you. ⁶Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.

In contrast to the succeeding generation, the generation of Joshua was steadfast and seriously took the warning from the Lord against possible unpleasant situations. And they lived prosperously and peacefully. Let us learn from the generation of Joshua. As we hope for Christ’s return, we have to be careful and steadfast in godly lifestyle.

2.  Steadfast

²⁶Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.

²⁷Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

We are advised to give careful thought and steadfast in all our ways, individually and as a church. We can be faithful in godly behavior only when we are dependent on the Lord. What do you personally interpret when it instructs us, “Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil?” It teaches careful thoughts and steadfastness.

We are distracted and not fixed to the Lord if we turn to the right. How is it?

Turning to the right could be attraction to materialism, power or fame. Covetousness of fame and power had caused nations to suffer, even churches. Additionally, turning to the left could possibly be choices of menial responsibilities, lesser troubles or struggles.

Those who are heavily burdened by responsibilities may choose simple or easier jobs. Simple and easy work attracts ordinary people. On the other hand, greatness requires great responsibilities.

Did they ignore their call to leadership ministry because of burdens and demands of lifestyle? Did they prioritize material needs of their family, and why? It is possible that they don’t want to be embarrassed and not to be blamed for neglect of responsibility. Or, they might have been caught in the worldly lifestyle of the fast lane.

Fast Lane

Do you like driving in the fast lane or highways? Highway driving has faster speed. Looking straight ahead is fundamental principle when driving at high speed. Attentive drivers fix their eyes directly before them. Simple distraction can cause tragic accidents; a fraction of miscalculation at highway driving can trigger horrible consequences.

If drivers attentively look straight ahead while driving at higher speed, they can react and adjust to any situation. There are situations that cannot be avoided; deer or other animals may suddenly cross the road. Drivers who watchfully fixed their eyes directly ahead of them have more probability of safer travel than those who don’t.

Believers are pilgrims in this world. As we journey toward eternity, we must fix attentively our eyes upon our Lord Jesus and his promised eternal life. Most, if not all, people who enjoy living in the fast lane have encountered regrettable experiences.

Fast-pace lifestyle is pressured by demand of worldly pattern of materialism.

We want to have abundant life. Christ Jesus promised life to its fullness. Can you be satisfied if you have all material things? Material things are useful but can’t satisfy.

If we ignore Christ, we sense emptiness. Only God can fill our life with contentment.

Eternal life in heaven will be realized when Jesus returns, but contented life can be partially experienced once Jesus establishes Lordship over us. What can cause us shame or embarrassment if we have contentment in Christ? How do you interpret what it says in Psalm 31:1-5, ¹In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. ²Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. ³Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. ⁴Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. ⁵Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

In biblical times, to be shepherd was not desirable. David was a simple shepherd, but he trusted God. He was despised even by his very own brothers, but he took refuge in the Lord. And the Lord raised him up as the greatest king of Israel.

Do you sense heavy burden in life? Take refuge in the Lord. Fix your eyes upon him. Don’t turn to the right or to the left. The wonderful plan of God will never put you to shame. God situates you where you may attain the blessed life he designed for you. And you will praise and thank him when you are satisfied in life. Do you believe that?

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