Scripture for Today:  Proverbs 17:24  “A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.”

This was a common sight when our son was quite young.  The French preschools would often use a tether to keep young children in line.  The “monitrice” could not hold everyone’s hand.  Without that tether those little ones were tempted to go in all kinds of directions.  All it took was one little distraction for a child to wander off.  The tether insured that they would all arrive safely to their destination.  Of course, the system would fail if one of those little hands decide to drop the tether!

Our verse for today describes a fool whose eyes wander away from what is wise.  Wisdom is the tether that keeps the discerning person from wandering.  The fool is easily distracted away from wisdom.  The adulteress in Prov. 5:6 is wandering aimlessly and does not even know it!  The love of money causes one to let go of the tether and wander from the faith (I Tim. 6:10).  It is so easy to be like sheep, following the wrong shepherds.  We wander all over the mountains and forget our resting place (Jer. 50:6).

We are told that Christ is the wisdom of God (I Cor. 1:24).  Holding on to Him is wise.  The problem is that I am “prone to wander…prone to leave the God I love.”  I am so easily distracted.  I drop that tether to go check something out and end up going in the wrong direction.  He wants to direct my paths.  When I trust in my own understanding or ideas, I wander off that path.

Lord, keep me discerning enough to hang on to You!

(Look familiar?  This is a summer re-post due to ministry schedule.)