Key Verse: Proverbs 22:5 “Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; he who guards his soul will be far from them.” As hunter I have walked down many many paths. There is nothing better then walking down a clean path. A path that has been recently cleaned. There is no briars, there are no trees down in the path, but the path that is full of briars, and downed trees is difficult to walk on. If you try and go through the thorns, they scratch you up, and slow you down. The downed trees often force you to get off the path and keep you from reaching your destination as fast as you’d like to. Solomon says that the way of the wicked is similar that. There way is full of thorns. In our life when we choose to do things that go against the will of God we inevitably complicate our life, and cause ourselves much pain, and these briars and that plague the way of the wicked, they are inevitable. When you live contrary to God’s commandments you will find pain, and sorrow. However, Solomon says that something else plagues the way of the wicked. He says that their path is full of snares. This means that the way of the wicked is full of traps from the devil. At first living like the rest of the world looks fun, it looks fulfilling. However, it doesn’t last, because what seemed fun at first ends up being a trap the devil uses to keep you down, to keep you from living for Christ. The way of the wicked is full of these traps! However, I have good news, there is another way. You can avoid the traps of the devil, and avoid the way of the wicked if you take the narrow way instead of the broad way. It may look like the harder path, it may have less people on it, but it is the safe path. It is the path that leads to eternal life. This path is only available through faith in Christ, and then you begin a wonderful journey that concludes in heaven in the presence of God. We can guard our way by taking Jesus’ path. When we do this He gives us the discernment and discipline to avoid the wrong path! Avoid the path of the wicked, by taking the path of Jesus!
