Remaining on God’s Path!

(Prov 16:17 KJV) The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Here Solomon tells us that the upright depart from evil. While that statement, in and of itself, is no deep revelation, it is a great reminder for us this morning. If we are going to travel down the straight and narrow way that Jesus spoke of (Mat 7:13) we are going to have to make a conscious decision to avoid evil. Make no mistake, sin is a choice, just like resisting sin is a choice and there are spiritual forces attempting to get us to move in both directions. For the Born-Again believer, the Holy Spirit works on the inside and He attempts to lead us in the way that we should go; thus avoiding sin and its consequences. But this does not exonerate us from the attacks of the enemy. That’s why Peter said,

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1st Peter 5:8).

The devil knows that sin has devastating consequences, even for the believer, and that is why he does all that he can to get us to sin.

The latter portion of the text, in the traditional King James Version reads, “He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.” By keeping your way, or in other words, by avoiding sin, you preserve your ____. The Hebrew word translated “soul” in this verse is nephesh. This word is translated as “soul” here, but it can also be translated as “life.” Many of the translators of more modern versions opted to use the word “life” instead of “soul.” For example, the New American Standard Bible reads: “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life.”

Let’s talk about both applications. Your soul is comprised of your mind, emotions and will. I like to call your mind “your thinker,” your emotions “your feeler,” and your will “your chooser.” By choosing (actually with your mind, which is part of your soul) to remain on God’s path for your life, you shield yourself from unrighteous influences.

The devil wants to pollute your soul so that you would live a defeated life. If he can get you to think, feel, and choose in ways that are contrary to God, then your soul will keep you from God’s best. You will be defeated in many areas of your life and the enemy will be happy. Don’t give the devil the satisfaction of triumphing over you and don’t disappoint your heavenly Father by living beneath His best. Determine to remain on His path and to protect your soul.

So what if Solomon meant “life”? Well, it is also true that if we remain on God’s path you will live a longer life. You don’t believe me? Well, read Your Word. Back in chapter 3 God through Solomon said, “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity” (verses 1,2). He went on to say, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold… Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor” (verses 13,14, and 16). In chapter 9 he said, “Respect and obey the LORD! This is the beginning of wisdom. To have understanding, you must know the Holy God. I am Wisdom. If you follow me, you will live a long time” (verses 10,11).

What’s the insinuation? If you follow Godly wisdom – God’s way of doing things – you will live a long time. But what if you don’t? Your life will be cut short!

So what does this mean to you ? It means that your decisions matter and that carry considerable consequences. Make up your mind today to remain on God’s desired path for your life. In so doing you will preserve your soul and your life!

Father, I thank You for blessing me to understand the dire consequences of my decisions. Your have given me Your Word, Your Spirit, and divinely inspired pastors and teachers to help keep me on Your path for my life. I also acknowledge the fact that I have an enemy that makes constant attempts to derail me from Your destiny. At the end of the day, the choice is mine, and I declare, by faith, that I will choose Your best, Your path, Your way, and I will live long and strong because of it! In Jesus’ name. Amen!