Last summer Carol and I drove to the top of Mt. Evans. Driving those tight turns up to 14,000+ feet made me wonder if I'd be able to stay on the road. But what a majestic drive! Another winding, twisting road, the one up Pike's Peak, is even more majestic. Some say the only way to get a thrill in life is to drive a dangerous road now and then.
This reminds me of a school district in West Virginia that was interviewing prospective bus drivers. Since they would be driving narrow mountain roads, each applicant was asked, "How close can you drive to the edge of the road?" Some said, "If I keep good hold of the wheel, I can get within six inches." Others tried to top that by saying they could manage four inches. But those who got the jobs usually answered, "I keep as far away from the edge as I can."
It seems today that such a sensible answer - staying away from the edge - is hard to find. Too many people prefer living as close to the edge of life as possible. Whether it's temptation or curiosity or the wish to live life to its fullest, some of us feel compelled to creep as close to the edge as possible. But the closer we come to the edge, the more we put our lives and souls in danger.
Proverbs 1:10 says, "My child, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them." That means watch out for temptation! Temptation comes to us all, but we need not always give in to it. We may think we can resist it, but we're not as strong as we think. Life can be lived just as well away from the edge as next to it.
None of us, no matter what our age, wisdom or abilities, is smart enough to stay always on the road. None of us can keep such a grip on the wheel that we won't at some time go over the edge. We all fall in life because we are weak and sinful.
But Jesus walked our road of life. He knows how we are tempted. Thus He will also be there to catch us when we fall and keep us from harm. If we turn to Jesus in faith, He will pick us up, clean us off, and help us back on the road again. He'll help us to stay there, too, if we let Him.
As you face today and all it brings, why not keep a safe distance from the edge?
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