I came across this first as I was writing on my devotional blog, and had to stop and think twice about the word that I thought said “straighten”.
Proverbs 4:12 (KJV) When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.But that is not the word being used. It’s not archaic in itself, but the use here is not how we normally use it. Think of it as being a part of the word straitjacket instead of “without curves”. It has the idea of confining us in order to control us. It has the idea of drawing lines that we had to stay between. It’s the curbs on the side of the road that keep you from bumping off of your course.
This is not the kind of freedom that wisdom promises. Go back with me into my memory and what, for you, might be ancient history at the time when Disneyland was first opened. This was before I and my family started boycotting,Disney, back when Disneyland was still somewhat wholesome. It had a ride, which they called The Autopia. They put children in these little go-cart type vehicle’s with a throttle and a steering wheel and set you off down the highway. In the original version you actually had to steer. There were curbs on both sides that would keep you from killing yourself, but you could bounce back-and-forth and have a grand time. As a child this was awesome. They had people stationed throughout the whole route to come over and lift you off the curb and back onto the road when you got too carried away in your steering. It was confining, but you still had to steer.
Go forward a few years to when they put in the new version. I assume the lawyers had gotten involved. The new version had a track down the middle of the road and the car you were driving had a device that came down and locked over that track. I remember the last time I went on The Autopia. I never even bothered to touch the steering wheel because the car steered itself. It was very safe. It was very boring. I never went again.
What God is promising us if we absorb His wisdom and apply His values and principles is the kind of freedom to do our steering and know that our choices are being recognized. That would be represented by the high curbs on the side, which would keep us from plunging off into an abyss. It is not the kind of control where we can just take our hands off the wheel, and in total boredom, proceed down the road. It is a kind of life and freedom that makes each dawning day full of awesome possibilities.
Study God’s wisdom. Absorb God’s wisdom. Apply God’s wisdom. It’s the path to freedom.
homo unius libri
Amen!
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