Think Before You Step

“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.” (Pr 4:26 AV)

To ponder something means to take time and let is circulate in the brain.  It means to think of every possible angle and the impact every decision.  To ponder means time stands stands still, and that no decision is made until one is full convinced it is the right decision.  Furthermore, the path which the pilgrim must consider is the whole path.  Not just that which lies before.  The path that he took, the path he is on, and the path that lays before him.  To ponder the path of the feet is to consider past actions, present conditions, and future possibilities.  To ponder the path of one’s feet is far more than simply pressing forward.  It is deeper than that.  Pondering the path of the feet defines who you are, what you are, and where you are going.  The suggesting here is not merely to avoid hazard.  The advice Solomon gives to his sons, if followed, will certainly keep them from unnecessary trouble.  But if followed, it will also produce a confident man who can glorify God and bless men.

Hiking the mountains while in pursuit of venison was an experience of planning and real-time strategy.  More so than flat-land hunting, one had to plan the journey with much more in mind.  Ascending a mountain is not nearly as hazardous as coming back down.  Especially if the hunter was successful.  Climbing is only concerned with the next step.  Descending often involves much more.  Ascending is concerned with forward motion and avoiding unplanned hazards.  Descending must look at much further ahead.  So, as one climbed the hill in pursuit of venison, the predator must look at where he had been and determine if descending the same way is doable.  Thinking of another example, climbing a tree and getting back down sometimes are not the same.  A child will often climb a tree, but when he gets as high as he can, discovers he cannot get down the same way he got up.  Pondering one’s journey from the perspective of the entire journey and not what only lies ahead will become short-sighted.  Looking back at where we came from gives us a reference point of where we should go.  Following game trials is a way to learn this skill.  Deer will follow the least treacherous path that also keeps them hidden from predators.  These game trails often indicated how to safely navigate a ravine or cliff.

We do not like to take the time to ponder.  We want to plow ahead and deal with the consequences later.  I did that once and got myself stuck at an impassable intersection and had to double back, dragging my game behind me.  I had to climb back up the mountain and find another way around.  Had a pondered my path, I would have avoided all that extra work.  If we think of our life’s journey as a single road, looking back gives direction for the future.  This direction is the same for everyone.  The choices may be different, but the objective is the same.  We are all heading toward Christlikeness.  The end is the same for us all.  When we look at the journey that lies before us, taking the extra time to ponder where we have come from and where God wants us to go will result in a straighter path.  We will not waste effort and expel resources to get where God wants us to be.  We will be where God wants us to be when He wants us to be there, doing what God wants us to do.  Pondering is a lost art.  We have no patience for it.  If we stop and think, others will think we are indecisive.  If we meditate too long, we are seen as faithless.  Too bad!  Pondering is a good thing.  Knowing where we have been, where we are going, and why it is so goes a long way to being consistently profitable for the LORD.