Look at your life. How did you get where you are? Where are you headed? These are questions we don’t think about too often. The path of our lives is like the air we breathe; we don’t take a lot of time to consider it, we just live it. But Proverbs is designed to wake us up to the consequences of our life decisions.
Read Proverbs 4:10
Two roads
As Solomon’s son heads out into the world, he must choose between the way of wisdom and uprightness (v 11) and the way of evil and wickedness (v 14). These represent two ways to live that come to two drastically different ends.
Look closely at our passage and compare the two paths.
• A good road is smooth. Which path is well built for travellers (v 12)? What happens to people on the other path (v 19)?
• A good road is well lit. What are the streetlights like on each of these paths (v 18-19)?
• A good road is safe. Which of the paths (v 11-12 and 19) is secure?
• If this is true, why do you think people choose the path of folly?
• Do they believe that it will end badly for them?
• The path of folly promises much: what does this passage say it actually delivers?
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TIME OUT
• How is v 18 a useful verse to show a very new Christian?
Look out for someone to share this verse with.
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More and more and more
Both folly and wisdom are self-perpetuating. The beginning of wisdom is the desire for wisdom (4 v 7), which in turn makes you more and more wise. In the same way, folly and wickedness grow in a person until they become an obsession.
The world is full of people who have walked in the way of the wicked for so long that they can’t sleep at night until they’ve satisfied their craving for folly and vice (v 16).
• Should we expect those who are going their own way instead of God's to realise why life doesn't go as they want (v 19)?
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APPLY… Re-read v 13-15.
• What is the son supposed to do with respect to each path?
• Which path will you choose today?
• What difference will that make to how you speak, think or act?
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This devotional is taken from Explore—a daily Bible-reading devotional from the good book company which enables you to engage with Scripture and which will encourage, equip and inspire you to live for Christ. Explore features contributions from pastors such as Dr Timothy Keller, Mike McKinley and Tim Chester.
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