Avoiding a Fall

(Pro 25:26 KJV)  A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.

How do we avoid being the one who is “falling down” (gives way NASB) (4131)?  The Hebrew word has the idea of tottering or shaking, not of being smashed by great force.  That should give us an indication of how we can achieve stability.

Have you ever camped out, not anchored your tent securely and had a strong wind come up at night?  It is disaster waiting to happen.  If you have chosen your location carefully, driven your stakes in solid ground and made sure the cables were secure, you are in good shape.  If you just got by, good luck.

As a child I remember singing a chorus, “I shall not be moved.”  It repeats this phrase and then makes a reference to Psalm 1 and a tree firmly planted by the river. 

So?  To be solid you need good roots.  To keep from tottering you need to have a solid, wide base.  To resist the storms you need well tied guy wires.  Have I ever said anything about studying the word?  I thought so.