Proverbs 1:15-16 (ESV)
15 my son, do not walk in the way with them;
hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
Solomon warns his son not to walk in the way of those who do evil. The Hebrew word for “way,” derek, implies both a lifestyle and the consequences of living that lifestyle. The father tells his son to “hold back his foot,” or restrain himself from the temptation even to experiment with sinful practices. Rebellion is addictive, and those who taste it often end up enslaved by it. The feet of wrongdoers run to evil because of their bondage to it; they simply can’t resist its deceptive allure. The wicked are quick to shed the blood of their victims and their own as well. Are you toying around with any thoughts or behaviors you know are displeasing to God? If so, do whatever it takes to put them to an end. Let someone know, and humbly ask her to hold you accountable. It has rightly been said, “Sin leads you further than you ever thought you would stray. Sin keeps you longer than you ever thought you would stay. And sin costs you more than you ever thought you would pay.”