Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
Feb. 27, 2012

“Stay on the Porch!”
“Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men.” – Proverbs 4:14

The following is a story told by author and theologian, David Jeremiah:

“One spring morning when I was a small boy, my mother dressed me up in my Sunday best and warned me not to leave the front porch steps. ‘We'll be walking over to see your aunt,’ she said. I waited on the porch until the baker's son from the corner shop came along and called me a sissy. Then I sprang from the porch and whammed him in the stomach. He shoved me into a mud puddle, splotching my white shirt with slime and leaving my pants with a bloody hole in the knee. Hopelessly I began to cry. But my grief was stilled quickly at a sudden tinkle of bells. Down the street came a peddler, with ice cream, five cents a cone. For getting my disobedience, I ran into the house and begged my mother for a nickel. Never can I forget her answer: ‘Look at you! You're in no condition to ask for anything.’” I have certainly had my share of “adventures” that had I stayed on the porch I could have avoided some pain on my “back-side,” but as I have said in previous messages, my curiosity got the best or me.
I remember one such occasion in particular—my mother had to have some papers signed after my father died. I was told to stay in the car while she went inside which under normal circumstances I probably would have. But I happened to notice that on the other side of the building was a laundry mat and behind it was a pond. Any resistance to remain seated in the car was gone and the next thing I knew I was standing about 25 feet from the pond. Unfortunately there was a chain-link fence separating myself from the pond, but I was not to be denied. I climbed the fence, tearing my pants, and once on the other side did not realize that the ground was very muddy. The next thing I knew I heard my mother’s voice and realized the predicament I had gotten myself into. I had no excuse to fall back on and received my punishment when we got home.
As the two illustrations point out, the problem with “staying in the car,” (or the porch as the case may be) is that the “fun” stuff is happening elsewhere. Although it would be safer, drier, and less painful, those equations don’t often enter into our minds and we are too easily drawn away from our safety net.
This is the point Solomon is making. Wisdom in knowing to stay off the path where the evil walk because where they are going you do not want to go. It may seem like the right way at the time—but it will not be long before you realize you are caught in the net. I know I have used this particular illustration before but it really applies here:
Once a spider built a beautiful web in an old house. He kept it clean and attractive so that flies would patronize it. The very minute he got a "customer" he would clean up on him so the other flies would not get suspicious.
Then, one day, this faily intelligent fly came buzzing by the clean spiderweb. Old man spider called out, "Come and sit." But the fairly intelligent fly said, "No, sir. I don't see any other flies in your house and I'm not going in alone!"
But, presently he saw on the floor below a large crowd of flies dancing around on a piece of brown paper. He was delighted! He was not afraid if lots of other flies were doing it. So he came in for a landing.
Just before he landed, a bee zoomed by and said to him, "Don't land there, stupid! That's fly paper...you'll get stuck and die!" But the fairly intelligent fly shouted back, "Don't be silly! Those flies are dancing and having a good time. There's a big crowd there. Every-body's doing it. That many flies can't all be wrong!" Well, you know what happened. He was caught! Some folks want so much to be with the crowd that they end up in a mess. What does it profit a fly if he escapes the web only to end up in the glue? So if you feel enticed to “leave the porch,” just beware that there may be consequences to your actions.
Pastor J. T. Carnell