Pathways

"14 Do not enter the path of the wicked

And do not proceed in the way of evil men.

15 Avoid it, do not pass by it;

Turn away from it and pass on.

16 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil;

And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness

And drink the wine of violence.

18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

That shines brighter and brighter until the full day."

 

~ Proverbs 4:14-18 

Alot more of us need to sit at the feet of this teacher and lend our ear to his wise words.

We understand that when the writer speaks of the path of the wicked he means their course of life, their sinful character, and the actions that follow. But think about it, at the time that Solomon wrote there was literally a path to the wicked.

How could you go lie in wait to ambush someone (1:11) or go to the house of the harlot (5:8) unless you physically walked on a path to go meet up with them. You had to physically get up, go outside, and walk to the door of the harlot's house. There was actually effort involved in entering the path of the wicked.

We need Solomon's words even more today. What do I mean? I mean it is all too easy, convenient, and anonymous to enter the wicked path today. Now, every IP address is a path to folly and every sort of evil. A step only takes the press of a button, a single click of a mouse. The path of the wicked is all around us, floating in the cloud, choking and blurring our way.

Without stepping foot in the dusty square of Sodom, we find ourselves like righteous Lot, who was oppressed by his generation, though I want to have a different ending to the story of my life than his.

Here's the deal. I don't think that we will do much shining if we are constantly walking in the fog of spiritual confusion that characterizes our modern life. What is  the answer?

We need to dive deep into the truths of God's word and let it's living waters flow over our souls. We need to make the hard climb up to the heights of older theological stalwarts and let them show us the vast panoramas of God's glory. We need to walk the old paths through the sun dappled meadows of righteousness.
 

Then our minds will be clear, our path will be evident, and we will shine.
 

Eiger Jungfrau Switzerland

How to Be Spiritually Miserable

For the last several months I have limited my reading to the printed page, and that further limited to the wisdom of more seasoned writers. Puritans and older current pastors who write in the same vein of reformed soul care have been my focus. Frankly, so much of what is published today feels vacuous and leaves a dry taste in my mouth.  Previously, I found myself wanting the skilled soul care that comes from deep theological and pastoral reflection; and there's just not alot of that out there on the interwebs.

So this post by Eric Davis was a real blessing to my soul today. I'm not saying it felt good reading it. There was some serious conviction going on in my heart. But after dealing with my own soul before the Lord, I was happy. It is encouraging that there are guys like Eric and the other fellows at The Cripplegate who are concerned with genuine biblical heart change.

The question I'm wondering is what puritan divine has Mr. Davis been reading recently?

Check out Eric's post here:

How to Be Spiritually Miserable: You have to do one thing to ensure a run-in with misery: exist. In a fallen world, it’s inevitable. And, for many, it’s unbearable. Misery: a state of dissatisfaction, unfulfillment, an…

A Treasure Trove

A box full of treasure arrived today. The delivery man had no idea the heavy box he lugged up the steps was full of olden gold, pearls of great price, and rare diamonds. But the treasure inside was not the stuff of rare metals or brilliantly compressed minerals. Inside the box lay centuries old wisdom, the priceless treasure of theological reflection and pastoral insight that is all but lost today - lost treasure - and maps to more for the adventurous wisdom seeker.

Jesus compared the gospel to a treasure hidden in a field (Matthew 13:44). Sometimes it feels like the field is now buried under the concrete jungle of our modern times. But there are still wizened guides who know the way. They have already sunk shafts deep into the quartz of theological truth and they offer to share their gospel gems if you are willing to dig a little. 

John Owen is one such guide. Read him and you will have to dig. You might even scuff your knuckles and perspire a bit. But follow his prospector lamp a little further down the mine shaft and you will hit the mother lode. 

Here's my treasure maps. Can't wait to start diggin'!

   

 

*If you are interested, you can find the works of Owen here.