Stumble-free running

Proverbs 4:11-12
I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.

When I woke up this morning, I realized that in one week I’ll be loading up my family and driving north to Richmond, Virginia, in order to run in my first marathon on November 14. I’m excited, nervous, and at times, scared out of my mind. Verses like the ones today are the kind that runners should always claim before a big race, because the last thing I want to do is find myself sprawled out on a road somewhere in downtown Richmond with hundreds of onlookers taking pictures that’ll get posted all over the internet. It makes me feel the pain of the people in the picture I added to this Evotion, because they experienced what I hope I don’t. It’s sad to go viral with a picture that captured such an epic fail. I hope it doesn’t happen to me in Richmond, but this passage gives me plenty of confidence that it won’t happen in my faith. Let’s break it down…

If we’re willing to walk in the way of wisdom, we get a couple of really good promises. The first is that we’ll be lead along straight paths. Now, this does not mean there won’t be curves or odd, unexpected turns. I’ve always wondered about that, because even though our experience shouldn’t dictate how we interpret scripture, any believer with a pulse can attest that there are plenty of life-altering turns along the way. So, we can’t read “straight” as meaning “easy” because it doesn’t. What it does mean is “right” or “what ought to be done.” When I think of my marathon, I’m kidding myself to think it will be easy, but because I’ve trained correctly and with wisdom, I should be able to run the right kind of race for me (which is slow in case you’re wondering!). Wisdom guides us along the correct paths and that’s a great benefit.

Second, we’re told that our steps won’t be hampered, which basically means that they won’t be bound up or hindered. Yes, wisdom allows us to walk free. It puts us in a place where we don’t feel the ball and chain of past failures or future fears. And when you walk like that, it’s just a matter of time before you can’t help but pick it up a little. Notice that progression? You walk along the right path – the road which you were made for – and you walk in total freedom. Like a child on the first day of summer break, your walk turns into a run, and you find yourself laughing at how much fun you’re having. There is no thought of not finishing, or of falling, because you were made for this! You were made to run without stumbling!

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Sounds like we should never get tired, never want to quit, and never have bad days. Yeah, right. All of us experience those feelings from time to time, but when you’re walking where you should, and the freedom that you feel leads you to a run, you suddenly find yourself running with confidence – even when you’re experiencing a bad run.

Whether you’re walking, running, or just getting started, you can take confidence in this: when you let the wisdom of the Lord guide you, your race – no matter how long or hard – will never end with you sprawled out along the road of life with onlookers gawking and pointing. There is no epic fail waiting for the believer who is led by wisdom.

Run today in the strength of that promise.