Blinded by Desire

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. – Proverbs 4:18-19

Is it not amazing how conveniently we twist and turn the truth to suit our needs? Whether there is a bold-faced lie involved or just a slight misconception the fact remains, many times our complete honesty hinges on if the subject matter is beneficial to us or not.
We are a people of convenience and laziness. If our schedules are busy at the time of a major decision, we can easily justify taking the short cut achieve our desired result – regardless of whether the decision or the pathway to it, is completely honest. We only bent the rules a tiny bit. No one ever promised us that righteousness, or the road to attaining it, is paved in simplicity and easy-to-find answers. In fact, the answer is quite the contrary. The more we wish to find righteousness, the harder Satan makes it to locate. You see, he doesn’t want us to find this joy. He would prefer we stumble and connive to find ways that are pleasing to us and not Christ. That, my friend, is Satan’s entire agenda.
When we focus on the dot of eternity that lays deep into our future, it gives us an unmovable landmark, one that will never fade away. Will we stumble along the way, bloodying our knees at times? You bet ya, because it is not easy to keep our eyes fixed on such a distant goal. The way of righteousness is the first light of hope for a brighter future. That future is heaven. So we ask ourselves the question, “Is it easier and right to adjust the road blocks to suit our needs?” Easier yes – right, no.
Jesus knew as He entered His ministry, what the ultimate ending would be, however, He did not choose or alter the pathway that could have changed the outcome. Instead, He set His eyes on the final goal and chose righteousness, even though it meant His earthly death.
The word “wickedness” sounds so brutal, and it is not a word Christians equate to themselves. Still, there are times we are as wicked, if not more so, than those who do not know better. When we pave over the way of righteousness with the way of convenience, we have shortened the trip, but the result can be devastating. Doing what is right is not always what we want, but it the way God instructs us.
Fix your eyes on that which is good, even if the road is longer and harder, you can rest assured that you are headed in the right direction.


Prayer: Lord, when we are tempted to fall from the path of righteousness, give us the vision to see the road we may moving.