Picture yourself walking a narrow path upon the side of a mountain. You can see the path is treacherous and winding ahead, and below is certain death if you fall. How would you choose your steps? Would you carelessly just stroll along the path with no concern? Very likely, you would choose each step carefully, testing the footing to see if it would hold your foot. The path we walk is the life we live. At the end of the path is our eternal destiny. If we pass successfully with our walk with Jesus as our Lord and Savior, eternal life awaits. The way is strewn with loose rocks, false paths leading to dead ends or traps, and slippery places intended to cause us failure. And if that isn’t bad enough, the devil is there to encourage us to walk close to the edge. He says, “Why not walk close to the edge for the thrill? And besides, the view is better from there.”
For many people, it isn’t the rocky, slippery path that is the problem. It’s the edge. Countless Christians have walked the ledge and lost their footing and fell to their death. Oh, it didn’t look like death. It was only a little slip to recover from easily, just a step down, but that’s ok, it’s easy to climb back up. Or is it?
But the next ledge you landed on is narrower yet, and slippery. Pretty soon, as you walk along you get careless again and, OOPS! Down you go again. Only, this time it’s farther down and the ledge is narrower, and besides, you’re cut and bleeding from the last fall. Still, there’s a path to walk, only it’s a lot harder than the one you were on at first. Hope now is not so bright, and your thoughts go back to the first path before you slipped. You knew to stay close to the wall, away from the edge, but you just had to do it your way. If only you had listened to your teacher you would not be in this situation. Does this sound like your life? Have you been walking the ledge?
Proverbs 5:12-13 says, “How I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof: and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me.” But so many times, when we fall from our walk with God and we cry out to Him, He delivers us, for us only to go right back and do it again. Month after month, year after year, our life goes from one crisis to another. Why does it never seem to get better? Because as soon as God pulls us out of one pit of affliction, we want to walk the ledge again! Because of wrong thinking, we make wrong decisions that put us in bad situations. While a prudent man would never look down the barrel of a loaded gun, a thrill-seeker will.
Proverbs 4:10-15 says, “Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her, for she is thy life. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn away from it and pass away.”

 Many have received instruction from the word of God, and yet refused that instruction, and then wonder why God let them get in such a mess after they heard the word of God. Many blame God for their troubles. In 1Kings 18:17-18, the land suffered drought and Elijah had told King Ahab there would be no rain without his word. Verse 17 says, “And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he who troubleth Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.” Others blame the man of God for giving them a hard word, but the word of God is fit for rebuke, for instruction, for reproof, and to make wise.
When we insist on compromising our walk with God by playing around with sin, we are walking a dangerous ledge that is easily fallen from. Proverbs 6:27 says, “Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes no be burned?” People desire to please their flesh in the name of “freedom”, not realizing that bondage awaits just around the corner to make them captive. We have a choice to make here. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have placed before you life and death, blessings and cursing, therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” The Lord has left the choice to you. But even though He gives you a test, He is telling you the correct answer…..choose life!
Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-21, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and there be few that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

 
Don’t listen to those who tell you a little sin is ok. Walking the edge of the ledge sooner or later brings a fall. Stay far away from sin. Don’t try to prove how strong you are by standing in sin and thinking you can resist it. Be wise. Remove yourself far from the edge. Don’t even get close to look over the edge. Don’t play with sin. Repent now and ask for forgiveness, and hold Jesus’ hand as He leads you on the narrow path that leads to life.

 And don’t look down!