Proverbs 22 : 3 - 5 Avoiding evil, or playing at the edge of the water?

Pro 22:3  The prudent man saw the evil, and hid himself: the simple passed on, and suffered loss.
Pro 22:4  The fruit of humility is the fear of the Lord, riches and glory and life.
Pro 22:5  Arms and swords are in the way of the perverse: but he that keepeth his own soul, departeth far from them.

When we know something is evil, do we avoid it? Do we turn our heads, or turn our backs on it? Or do we peek at it, or even gaze on it; do we dabble our feet in the water, thinking that "surely this can't hurt me.....I'm not really doing anything wrong."

We hear a lot today about "if it feels good, go ahead and do it." And sometimes the wicked things of this world come coiled up in such pretty wrappings -- it's difficult sometimes to focus on the dangerous snake inside the package.
Solomon notes here that the wise person will see the evil, and hide himself from it. The next verse mentions fearing the Lord, and the last one tells us to "keep our souls."

Where can we hide? I can think of no better place than in my Father's hands. Listen to what David says in Psalm 32:7:

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Keeping our souls refers to abstaining from the evil that we see, and focusing on our heavenly Father; considering His grace to us with the reverence such a gift deserves.

We all need to be careful not to dabble our feet where it's dangerous!