Signs to Good Paths
Proverbs 2:9
"Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path."
If you have ever gone to a national park or forest, you have probably seen signs that tell you to stay on the path. The reason those signs are there are because they have found those paths are the best paths to keep people from hurting themselves. Many people like to ignore the good path and try to make their own path, only to find themselves hurt or lost. Though the good path may not seem as exciting, the good path keeps you safe from danger.
It would be great if somehow there was a path that you could follow in life. Life will sometimes seem to obscure the path that you should take. If there were only signs to show the paths to take in life, it would make things much easier for all. Yet, I find that God has set up signs to show us the path to take in life. In fact, He tells us in the verse above that we can understand "every good path." In other words, if we follow God's signs to the good paths, then they will keep us from danger and hurt. Let me show you God's signs that show you the good paths.
The first sign is wisdom. Verse 7 says, "He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous:..." In God's Word you will find that God has wisdom stored for you when you need it. In other words, God has a storage unit of wisdom from which you can make a withdrawal. How do you withdraw from this storage unit of wisdom? First, you must read the Word of God, for every word is what gives you wisdom that you need. Second, you must ask God to give you wisdom in times of need. James 1:5 commands us to ask God for wisdom when we lack it. Before you do anything, you should always ask God for wisdom, for His wisdom will be like a sign that shows you the right path to take.
Second, righteousness is a sign to show you which path to take. It is amazing how righteousness will show you the right path to take in life. I often say that good always breeds good. When you make one good decision, you will find many other good decisions will come from it. One of the most important reasons you should do right all the time is because it keeps your mind clear so you can see God's signs to the right paths of life. When you do wrong, it will cloud your ability to see the right path to take. Samson did wrong, and could not see the signs to the good paths that God was trying to show him.
The result of getting God's wisdom and living right is that God guides you to the right paths of life. Verse 8 says, "He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints." There have been many times in my life when God guided me to the right path, and I believe it all comes from doing right and obtaining God's wisdom.
Knowing the right path in life is not as difficult as we make it. If you will spend time studying the Word of God so you can gain God's wisdom and obey It, then you will find the signs to the right paths are much clearer to see.