Watch Your Step!
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. Proverbs 10:9
Most mornings I take a 2.5 mile walk around a nearby lake. Although the sun-dappled mountains and wildlife call for my attention, I glance at my feet often. The asphalt path is cracked and broken in many places, and I don’t want to stumble.
The same is true in my spiritual walk. Many activities, mindsets, and objects attract my attention. If I don’t check for sure footing often, I may stumble into subtle sins or harmful habits.
Proverbs 10:9 links sure footing to integrity. We don’t use the word integrity much anymore. One definition is “the quality or state of being complete or undivided: material, spiritual, or aesthetic wholeness.” The first synonym given is incorruptibility.[1]
The Hebrew word translated “integrity” in some Bible versions (“upright” or “blameless” in others) is used in the sense of moral completeness and incorruptibility. A person of integrity remains committed to God’s ways no matter how attractive alternative routes may seem.
What does a life of integrity look like? Proverbs 10 gives some examples. “Diligent hands” are mentioned in verse 4. “The wise in heart accepts commands”(v. 8), and they “heed discipline (v. 17). They “store up knowledge” (v. 14) and “nourish many” with their wisdom (v. 21). When storms come, they “stand firm” (v. 25), and they are quick to run to the Lord for refuge (v. 29).
On the other hand, if we choose crooked paths instead of God’s way, we’ll slip and fall. Our poor choices will be exposed, and we’ll suffer the consequences. The word crooked refers to perverted, twisted, sinful mindsets and behaviors—anything that isn’t aligned with God’s Word.
Of course we cannot maintain a life of integrity without God’s guidance. Psalm 37:23 says, “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”
The older I grow, the more carefully I watch where I step—with my feet and with my choices. If I allow myself to be distracted by the beautiful, the ugly, or even the mundane, I may fall.
How carefully are you watching where you step?
Dig Deeper
Read Proverbs 10. Write a verse or two on a sticky note that will help you become more sure-footed. Put it in a place where you will see it often.
The phrase “crooked roads” appears in Isaiah 59:8. Consider what Isaiah 59:1–15 says about the consequences of taking crooked roads, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you avoid the sins described in this passage.
What other insights does David give us in Psalm 37 that will help us live a life of integrity?
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of our series on the Book of Proverbs.
[1] “Integrity,” Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, Online edition, accessed June 28, 2023, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/integrity.