18 Wheelers of Life

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

The two translations I look at regularly translate the idea of spiritual failure with different emphasis.  The KJV says “falling down” (4131) and the NASB says “gives way”.  The Hebrew word is used four times in Proverbs and it looks like it has the idea of someone who fails to prepare for crosswinds.  I am thinking that the accountability comes not from the staggering but from the lacking to be alert and prepare.

In my foolish youth I rode a motorcycle.  One of the things I learned on the road was that if an eighteen wheeler was going by me on a two lane road, I needed to be prepared for the cross wind.  It was a fact of life.  I also learned to watch for grooved pavement.  If you were not paying attention you could be in for disaster.  That is different from the time I blew my rear tire.

So?  The best way we can prepare for the crosswinds of life is to know specific things that cause them and/or watch the movement of the wind in the trees around us.  When we see it coming, we can brace ourselves and keep the springs of our life running clear.