Let's begin today by looking at Proverbs 4:14-19:

“Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. 
Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.
For they cannot rest until they do evil;
they are robbed of slumber till they make someone stumble.
They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. 
The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, 
shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble. “

We've been talking about how wisdom is a path that we're walking on. This path is a step-by-step obedience in the same direction. As a result of taking these steps, our character is formed. You and I are the product of all these small decisions that we've made along the way. We are who we are today because of them. This is fascinating because the writer of Proverbs, King Solomon, says in verse 14, "Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil." He's telling us that you and I have a choice each and every day. Which path are we going to walk on? Are we going to set foot on the path of evil or foolishness or the path of wisdom? When we start walking down this path, our character gets formed. 

He says in verse 16, "For they cannot sleep till they do evil; they are robbed of slumber until they make someone stumble." This is fascinating because we all can relate to this. When we lay in bed at night, thinking about things, I'm angry at this person, what am I going to say to them. I'm going to tell my boss tomorrow exactly what I think and what it's like working here. We let anger and bitterness rule our lives so that we are robbed of slumber. I think we all know how to relate to that when we grind on this stuff. 

Where does this lead us? In verse 19, the writer of Proverbs says, "But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they don't know what makes them stumble." What's interesting is that the writer is telling us that one day this person who is grinding on all this stuff will discover they don’t even recognize themselves. They’re not sure what this stuff is inside them. They don't know what makes them stumble. They're out of touch because they have gone down this path of foolishness so far that they’ve lost track of who they are and of the reality that God has made life.

Here's my question for you today as you reflect, do you find your character in a particular place where you're angry, bitter, or frustrated? Maybe you're fearful. I want you to reflect on that. I want you to begin this process of what we call repentance. It's a literal turning away, of saying, “This is foolishness. It's unwise, Lord, I want to become somebody different than that.” And so that's your first step today is learn how to repent. 

Prayer for Today
Father, as we go down this path and make choices, as we find ourselves actually losing sleep over these foolish character traits that are deep in us, help us Lord to repent and to say, “Lord, that is foolishness. It will not help me to do life in the right kind of way. Lord, I want to become wise. Help me to become wise today.” In Jesus name, amen