“Train me, God, to walk straight; then I’ll follow your true path.”

– Psalm 86:11 (The Message)

If I had a dollar for every line I’ve painted on an athletic field, I’d be a wealthy man. Preparing a field for competition is an art and it also requires having the right equipment. I learned very early in my coaching career that the best way to line a field is to do it right the first time. By having the right tools, taking your time and staying focused, the finished product can be one to be proud of. Painting a straight line is not as easy as it might seem and I would never attempt to paint any line without a reel of string on hand. By stretching the string from sideline to sideline, anyone with a steady hand and a keen eye can do a good job. However, if you try to go too fast or take your eyes off the string, your lines will snake in every direction. To anyone sitting in the stands, it’s easy to tell if the person painting the lines was walking straight.

As we look at our world today, a lot of crooked lines are being painted. One explanation for all these crooked lines is because we try to do things our way. We take shortcuts that wind up costing us time and generating frustration. We don’t have the right tools on hand or even worse, we don’t bother to follow the instructions for doing the job. Too often, we fail to stretch the string across the field to help us walk a straight line to the other side. What a great reminder we have in Psalms about the importance of walking straight and upright before God. God and His Word are our string. When we walk according to His directions, He will give us what is good and multiply our blessings. When we walk following His string, our paths will be straight.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your string. Give us the wisdom to stretch it out and apply it to every aspect of our lives. Teach us to walk the straight path with You. Amen.