Path of Light
The righteous walk a well lit path. The wicked way is full of darkness.
According to Solomon, King of Israel, the righteous path is illuminated differently than the wicked way. The path of the righteous person is well-lit, even illuminated as in the full-day sun. However, the course of the wicked is covered in complete darkness. This darkness is so dark that a person, when he stumbles, will have no idea what has made him stumble.
Solomon does not specify what is causing this discrepancy between the lighted righteous path and the dark wicked path. His proverb does not indicate why one path is lit, and the other is so very dark. But later in the new testament, James, the brother of Jesus, gives us an idea. The righteous path is illuminated by God, the Father of Lights.
The righteous do not have to rely on their own goodness for light on their way. They are not required to provide illumination through their own wisdom, good works, or any other quality they may bring to bear along the way. It is solely the light of a gracious and loving God that provides clear light to the path of the righteous.
But the wicked do not have such illumination. The wicked have rejected God's light and stumble along their path in darkness. They may try to rely on their own capacity to illuminate their way, but no human is able to provide light because we do not create light. In fact, we do not even have light unless the Spirit of God is within us. So the wicked stumble along their way, ignorant of why they fall.
Make no mistake. There are stumbling blocks along the way of the righteous. This fallen world is proficient at making humans stumble and fall. But the righteous honor God and receive Him as the guide and His Spirit as their companion along the way. Due to God's presence, the stumbling hazards are visible to the righteous so that they may be avoided. Even if the righteous were to stumble over one of these stumbling blocks along their path, they would know why. The Spirit of God will make it clear so the same hazard may be avoided in the future.
This is the hope of the righteous and the goodness of God!