Amy Carmichael, the great missionary to India, quotes:


A centipede was happy till

One day a toad in fun

Said, “Pray, which leg goes after which?”

Which strained his mind to such a pitch

He lay distracted in a ditch

Considering how to run.


She comments, “I think there are a good many toads in the world, and sometimes they manage to “strain our minds to such a pitch” that instead of going on in simplicity, we may very easily find ourselves “distracted in a ditch,” not running, but “considering how to run.”


Our verse says that it is the Lord Himself who teaches us how to walk and run; our part is only to do it, not to question whether we are doing it in the right way. We must not let other people upset us with suggestions that we should alter our step because this will merely upset our instinctive walk. God promises to keep us safe in His dwelling from accusing tongues (see Psalm 31:20). He will put a wall of protection around us, guarding us from those who would be “toads” and would try to take our focus off of Him.


About the writer:

Ieuan Lloyd-Jones, a Church of England minister originally from Wales, worked in the oil industry in Africa, the Far East, and the UK for 40 years. He also has been ordained for 30 years, working with youth, conducting seminars on Faith and Work, and acting as Associate Minister in several churches. He still preaches and helps in pastoring home groups in the Guildford area where he and his wife Valerie live.