Righteousness

Righteousness

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like complete darkness. Those who follow it have no idea what they are stumbling over.

Proverbs 4:18-19

In the verses above, we see quite a contrast between the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked. The word way clearly indicates a method of moving from one place to another. If I go to Florida, I don’t just happen to wake up there one morning. I arrive there because I made a choice either to fly or to drive. The same principle holds true for righteous or wicked living—we make choices that determine which direction we will go.

Righteousness means holy living that conforms to God’s standards, and it’s impossible for us to attain on our own. Because God is the source of all righteousness, he is the standard. The path of righteousness is not hidden. It is well-defined because Christ has already blazed the trail for us. Whenever we spend time with him through his Word or prayer, if we choose to obey, we experience the gleam of dawn—an indication that there is more light to come. The more time a mom spends with Christ, the more she shines, reflecting the light of Christ to her family.

Wicked is a word we tend to relegate to fictional characters, like the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. But the word is found throughout the Bible, and it describes a person who habitually practices sin. “The way of the wicked” is absent of light or clarity, and the people on that path commit sin with regularity. But there is hope. The presence of Jesus can bring righteousness and light to a dark heart that is stumbling for lack of a straight path, because Jesus is our righteousness.

Father,

Thank you that the path to righteousness is not a secret, but that your righteousness is equally available to all who want you. Amen.