That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.—Proverbs 2:20
In a remote mountainous region in central China lies what many hikers believe is one of the most dangerous hiking trails in the world. Along the south peak of Mt. Huashan, a trail winds its way to a summit approximately a mile and half high. The views are breathtaking, but you literally take your life in your hands to get there. One particularly notable section of “trail” close to the peak is known as Changkong Zhandao—Floating in Air Road. For some two hundred feet there is no trail but a narrow wooden walkway fastened to the side of the sheer cliff with an iron chain attached above to cling to as you make your way along. Because of the elevation, snowstorms can arise with little warning, leaving the steep trail and steps covered with ice. Without extreme care, hikers can find that mountain trail dangerous and even deadly.
As we make our way through life, God has given us a path to follow and instructions to obey. The prophet Isaiah said, “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21). In the pages of Scripture we find the guidelines which allow us to walk safely through the world. The enemy attempts to get us off course, luring us into danger.
While some of his bypaths may see alluring, the reality is that there is only one safe path for us to take, and that is the path of the righteous. Every sin is a step off that path, and leads to destruction. Instead of taking risks and seeing how far we can go without disaster, we should stay safely on God’s course.—–While there are many temptations to lead us way from the paths of righteousness, they all lead to disaster.(Daily in the Word)
