Ponder Your Path

Proverbs 4:26, ESV

Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.

At first glance, this verse looks like it’s a promise talking about planning our path—that if we plan our path, our ways will be sure. 

But that’s not what it’s talking about at all.

The fifteen verses which precede this one are talking about walking the path of wisdom and righteousness versus walking the path of wickedness. So this verse is a culmination of the preceding verses, and it’s talking about pondering the way we’re living.

Planning our path is not what makes our way sure—pondering our path is.

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve talked about living from the inside out, and we’ve talked about the importance of what we ponder. Now we’re looking at the vitalness of pondering our path—pondering the way we’re walking. 

How are we walking, spiritually speaking? What direction are we heading, spiritually speaking?

Is our relationship with God growing or stagnating?

Is our faith increasing or decreasing?

Is our passion thriving or waning?

Are we spending more time with God or less?

Are we hearing God’s voice more clearly or less clearly?

We often ponder our path at the new year and make decisions accordingly. But are our spiritual goals first, or have earthly goals choked out the spiritual ones? Are we planning more than we’re pondering? 

This verse may not be a promise about planning our path, but it is a promise about pondering our path—that if we continually ponder our ways (keeping our gaze fixed ahead (verse 25) and not swerving to the left or the right (verse 27)), then our ways will be sure.  

God’s got us.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

It’s the same concept. 

Our job is to ponder the way we’re living—seeking God and staying the course—and God’s job is to do the rest.