Redirect Your Steps

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
And the way of peace they have not known.”

The Apostle Paul continues his sobering courtroom indictment against humanity. He quotes from Isaiah 59 to expose not just the condition or conversation of fallen man—but his conduct. “Their feet are swift to shed blood” reflects a deep-rooted impulse toward violence, conflict, and self-centered ambition. Paul isn’t painting abstract evil; he’s describing what we’ve all seen in history and in ourselves. James 4 shows us the root of wars and fights—lust, envy, and desire unchecked. Mankind’s behavior throughout the centuries confirms the diagnosis: when we live without God, we live for ourselves—and the results are tragic.

Will Durant once noted that out of more than three thousand years of recorded history, only a few hundred were free from war. Human bloodshed isn’t rare—it’s routine. Robert Haldane put it vividly: even the most savage beasts don’t devour their own like mankind does. We fight not to survive, but to conquer. Greed, revenge, ego—these are the silent engines driving a world at war with itself. Isaiah’s words hit hard: the path of peace, they do not know. This isn’t just a political commentary—it’s a spiritual autopsy. And we must be willing to read it honestly.

We must examine our own feet. Where do they take you? Are you quick to retaliate, quick to judge, quick to dominate? Or are you walking the path of peace—the one Jesus paved with His blood? Today, ask the Lord to redirect your steps. Romans 3 leaves no room for spiritual pride, but it opens wide the door to repentance. Grace only heals what’s first confessed. Let’s stop excusing human nature and start exchanging it for Christ’s. As Proverbs says, “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun”—let Him lead you there.

“The feet are swift to shed blood; that is, they are prompt and ready to commit murder. This is a dreadful proof of the depravity of man, that he does not hesitate to destroy his fellow creatures.” – John Calvin