I want to encourage you today with a few verses from our reading in Proverbs 11:
3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the willful contrariness and crookedness of the treacherous shall destroy them.
5 The righteousness of the blameless shall rectify and make plain their way and keep it straight, but the wicked shall fall by their own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright [their rectitude in every area and relation] shall deliver them, but the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity and greedy desire.
8 The [uncompromisingly] righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked gets into it instead.
17 The merciful, kind, and generous man benefits himself [for his deeds return to bless him], but he who is cruel and callous [to the wants of others] brings on himself retribution.
27 He who diligently seeks good seeks [God’s] favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him.
31 Behold, the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be recompensed on earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner!
I hope that by now you will realize that as a born again believer, having received Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior, you ARE, right now, the righteousness of God! Look at 1 Corinthians 5:21:
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. KJV
21 For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness]. AMP
With THAT settled, all of those verses that refer to the upright, righteous, and blameless are referring to YOU! The verses that refer to the diligent, merciful, kind and generous are POTENTIALLY yours, IF you choose to operate in that manner! My purpose for sharing these today is so that you can encourage yourself in the Lord, in the same way that David did (1 Samuel 30:6), when it SEEMS like the wicked are prevailing! Understand that THEY have a sure and certain outcome, and it is NOT pretty! Operating in wickedness, even as a born again believer, WILL have poor results in this life - guaranteed! So, let's make the decision to EXPECT the results that the Word of God promises AND make the decision to get, and keep, ourselves in position to receive God's very best! AMEN! His WORD is TRUTH (John 17:17), but the choice to believe and receive is ours! What will YOU choose today? Here, to help you make the right choice, is Hillsong Young and Free with "Close":
Shalom in Him!
