Today’s devotion comes from Hebrews 12:12-13.
“Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.” Hebrews 12:12-13.
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When we look straight ahead, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of faith, then we become less discouraged and less distracted and less weary.
When we walk straight ahead, not turning to the left or the right, then we are less likely to get lost and less likely to stumble and fall and less likely to get hurt.
When we talk straight, then our followers are less likely to be deceived and confused.
“25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27.
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:25-27.
“24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.” Proverbs 4:24.
And put devious speech far from you.” Proverbs 4:24.
God makes our paths straight.
Proverbs 3:6
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
Jeremiah 31:9
“With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.”
“With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.”
“4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region;
They did not find a way to an inhabited city.
5 They were hungry and thirsty;
Their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 He led them also by a straight way,
To go to an inhabited city.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!” Psalm 107:4-8.
They did not find a way to an inhabited city.
5 They were hungry and thirsty;
Their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble;
He delivered them out of their distresses.
7 He led them also by a straight way,
To go to an inhabited city.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!” Psalm 107:4-8.
“5 ‘Every ravine will be filled,
And every mountain and hill will be brought low;
The crooked will become straight,
And the rough roads smooth;
6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’” Luke 3:5-6.
And every mountain and hill will be brought low;
The crooked will become straight,
And the rough roads smooth;
6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’” Luke 3:5-6.
Compare the straightness of the righteous with the crookedness of the wicked.
Proverbs 11:3
“The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.”
“The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.”
Proverbs 21:8
“The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.”
“The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright.”
Proverbs 28:6
“Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich.”
“Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than he who is crooked though he be rich.”
Proverbs 28:18
“He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, But he who is crooked will fall all at once.”
“He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, But he who is crooked will fall all at once.”
Consider those who leave the straight path to turn aside to their crooked ways.
Psalm 125:5
“But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD will lead them away with the doers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel.”
“But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD will lead them away with the doers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel.”
“13 … those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;” Proverbs 2:13-15.
To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;” Proverbs 2:13-15.
Proverbs 17:20
“He who has a crooked mind finds no good, And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.”
“He who has a crooked mind finds no good, And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil.”
Isaiah 59:8
“They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, Whoever treads on them does not know peace.”
“They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, Whoever treads on them does not know peace.”
Jeremiah 6:16
“Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”
“Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”
Jeremiah 18:15
“‘For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway,”
“‘For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway,”
What are the straight paths?
Psalm 23:3
“He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”
“He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”
The straight paths are the paths of righteousness.
Proverbs 8:20
“I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,”
“I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,”
The straight paths are the paths of justice.
Micah 4:2
“Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
“Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
The straight paths are the paths of God’s ways according to God’s Word.
One way that we walk down these straight paths is to read God’s Word every day, trusting God to lead us in the paths of righteousness and justice.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 