Upward and Onward

“The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.” (Pr 15:24 AV)

My collection of great authors is in consensus here.  The way of life is in an upward direction.  The way of death is in a downward direction.  The reader can take this one of two ways.  Both applicable.  The wise have their eyes in an upward direction and will eventually lead to eternal life and the presence of God.  The unwise have their sight downward and will end in eternal damnation.  The second way in which we can understand this is from the direction of wisdom or lack thereof.  Wisdom is from above.  Departing from wisdom is from beneath.  Either way of looking at it is consistent with the exegesis and our wise professors agree.  But I would like to consider the first application.  That is, the wise have a general upward direction.  Wisdom does come from above.  Because it comes from above, that is the direction to which wisdom is acclimated.  There is also a suggestion the wise can discern the general direction in which he is going and make a deliberate choice to go in the upward direction.  Note the little word ‘that’.  There are only two directions a person can choose to go.  He can go in the upward direction.  Or he can go in the downward direction.

Thinking this over, the Spirit brought to mind a general pattern of man.  We like the downward direction because it is more fun than the upward direction.  The downward direction is fast and exciting.  The upward direction often takes work.  Gravity is a great teacher.  We have company this past week so we have been watching random videos on a variety of topics.  One of those videos regarded men who jumped out of an airplane with wingsuits and defied death as they came perilously close to mountain peaks.  Shot after shot was these two sailors coming very close to the ground while sailing at about ninety miles an hour.  Then, they did something even more insane.  The one on the bottom is inverted.  He had the ground to his back and was listening to his jump partner’s instructions in order to stay alive.  The total jump took less than three minutes and, no doubt, was a thrill.  It could have ended in death and one of these days, unless wisdom rules, it will not doubt end that way.  On the other hand, we watched several videos of an Alaskan guide.  He would camp on a lease during different seasons and guide clients as they hunted everything from Kodiak bear and black bear to Moose and Sheep.  To hunt these animals, the hunters often spend a few days simply sitting at base camp for a few days while glassing the mountainside.  When the weather was right and they had patterned their quarry, they set out for a five-mile hike and a climb up a mountain to about three to five thousand feet.  The guide and his client worked very hard for the satisfaction of harvesting a trophy animal and filling their freezer.  The former had nothing to show for his three-minute thrill other than a video that would turn heads.  As soon as the next thrill seeker posts their accomplishment, they will be yesterday’s news.  However, the hunters involved will have meat in the freezer and life principles that affect more than hunting.

One of the challenges of getting older is staying focused on a general upward direction.  Unfortunately, life on this planet become more of a focus.  The more our bodies ache and the more life trials become more significant, the more difficult it is to keep an upward direction in focus.  We tend to plateau.  There is something beautiful about the first part of our verse.  The upward direction is enticing.  Whether a hot air balloon, a soaring bird, or an airplane in the sky, what is upward draws our attention and immediately changes our attitude.  We see vastness.  We see hope.  We see the possibilities.  In one small instant, our minds are no longer confined to where our feet are firmly planted.  The wise know from where their wisdom comes and because they do, they keep their mind and heart in the same direction.