Two Roads and a Brightening Sky

Proverbs loves the image of a road. In chapter 4 a father tells his son that he has guided him in the way of wisdom and led him along straight paths, so that when he walks his steps will not be hampered and when he runs he will not stumble. Then he sets two roads side by side.

The path of the wicked is described as compulsive. These people cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep until they make someone stumble. Their road is deep darkness, and they do not know what makes them fall. The path of the righteous, by contrast, is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter until the full light of day.

Read that last image slowly. The road of the righteous does not begin in full light. It begins at dawn, when you can see enough to take the next step but not much more. It brightens as you go. That is how most Christians experience obedience. You do not get the whole map. You get enough to walk, and the walking brings more light.

This matters because many people wait to follow God until they can see the whole road. They want the full light of day before they take the first step. Proverbs says it does not work that way. The light comes to the walker.

It also matters because the other road is described honestly. The wicked are not portrayed as happy rebels enjoying themselves. They are restless, sleepless, unable to stop. Sin promises freedom and delivers compulsion. Anyone who has been trapped in a habit knows the truth of it.

Today is Sunday. For many readers it is the day the week's road gets a little more light: a passage opened, a hymn sung, a word spoken that lands. Take the light you are given. Walk the next stretch. The sky is brightening, and the father in Proverbs promises that the one who holds on to instruction will find life.