Continuing the Walk with Righteousness

Proverbs 24:16

For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, 

but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.

Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you; 

do not be dismayed, for I am your God. 

I will strengthen you and help you; 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Life on this earth and in this world is subject to numerous challenges. As we continue to live every day, experiencing the demands of each day, we put in all our efforts to make it a great day. Right from the morning to the evening, we trust in the Lord, in His blessings and guidance, as we continue to progress in this path of challenge. But, we may have to agree, that this path has not been smooth and it has not been easy. There are numerous places where we had fallen, literally the greatest spiritual falls, and we had failed miserably too. But a great fall in our spiritual walk should not be the end of it. It should become the point of further dependency on the Lord for a better and stronger walk. 

The two Bible verses mentioned above remind us of the strength that comes from the Lord, the help that is assured to us when we fall. While Proverbs 24: 16 says, "For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again..." God also assures us in Isaiah 41: 10 "I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." In both of these verses, the word that struck me and the word that connects these two verses is "righteous." Indeed, I am able to identify a very close connection between righteousness and a steady spiritual walk with the Lord. I am able to see the importance of righteous living to keep us moving even in the midst of downfalls. The good news that I am able to see in the connection of these two verses is what I would like to share with you today. 

We are called to live a life of righteousness.

As children of God who are saved by the grace that we receive through Christ Jesus, we are called, we are invited, to live a life that is morally right or justifiable. What is morally right or justifiable, in this modern world, depends on where we are living, with what agreement we are living with the people around us, and within what constitutional borders we have agreed to live. And that may be in the eyes of the people around us. Faithfully holding on to the values of the society and living according to the agreement we have made with each other will help us to be righteous in the society's eyes and, indeed, it is a way of showing how morally right and how justifiable our actions are. On one side it shows our concern and love towards the others and on the other side, it makes us good examples of Christ Jesus in this society. However, we may also have to remember that we have made an agreement with the Lord when we accepted Christ Jesus. We have agreed to follow His commands and to treat others around us just as we would treat ourselves. And this is something we may have to keep in our lives as we continue to strive and work hard to live a righteous life in God's sight. And then, when we read Proverbs 24: 16, we are able to see the assurance from God that is promised for all those who live a righteous life. And this is possible only with God's help. 

We are called to depend on God's righteousness.

Just as I have acknowledged right at the beginning of today's reflection, a righteous life on our own way would not have been a successful one. Surely there were phases in our spiritual walk where we had slowly started depending on ourselves and have stopped seeking God's strength and help to live a life of righteousness. A little bit of pride would have been more than enough to make us fall. It is only with God's righteousness that we could live a sense-making, impact-creating life. Righteousness is a characteristic of God, and when we ask Him, He gives that in abundance. And this is where I find the greatest good news. When a righteous person, even if she/he falls many times (even if she/he is limited and bound by the human weaknesses that make them fall) God's righteous hand will uphold them. Even in the midst of their pains and wounds of their fall, God promises, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10). This is the righteous life we are called to live. This is the spiritual walk we are called to walk. A walk that is morally right and justifiable in God's sight, and a walk that totally depends on God's righteousness even in the midst of great falls. The grace that we find in Christ Jesus makes it all justifiable and makes us righteous.

Today, we may be still dragging a wonderful and impact-making spiritual life just because we have fallen. God's word reminds us that our life that is morally right and justifiable and totally dependent on God to continue the same will be a fruitful one. We are called to seek God's grace in such times. We are invited to come and receive the abundant love and grace through Christ Jesus and to re-establish ourselves with God's help to move further. God will help us to walk again. Our Lord will give us the strength to forget the past to look towards the future. He will help us to see eternity as our destination. 

I pray that the blessing of God the Father, the love and grace of Christ Jesus the Son, and the fellowship and guidance of the Holy Spirit will continue to help, strengthen and empower us to once again stand up and to continue the walk with righteousness until we see eternity. 

May God bless you. 

Yours in Christ,

"I Depend on You..." by Femi Okunuga