Benefits of Living Righteously

“The fear of the Lord prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short. The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to the evildoers. The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not dwell in the land. The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse. Proverbs 10:27-32 (ESV),

Using Hebrew poetic parallelism, the writer of Proverbs in these verses (believed to be Solomon), gives the positive aspects of living righteously counter-balanced with the negative results of living wickedly.

As these are weighed, it follows that anyone with any judgment at all will choose the high road of righteousness. Paraphrased, we see these concepts in this light, easily compared:

The righteous fear the Lord and live a long life; those living wickedly will die young.

The hope of the righteous is joy; the hope of the wicked is to utterly fall or perish

The blameless have the Lord as their stronghold; evildoers meet destruction.

The righteous will be safe in the land; the wicked will be removed.

The righteous speaks with wisdom; the words of the unrighteous will be cut off.

The lips of the righteous utter acceptable speech; the words of the wicked are perverse.

Reading Proverbs is like having a road map or guide to right living. Following the precepts taught in Proverbs guarantees peace of mind for the follower and good will toward those encountered. Solomon was writing about tried and proven methods of conduct. Those who learned and practiced these principles would benefit himself and those with whom he came into contact.

I am not so naïve as to think that every time a good person practices what is just, right and loving that all will go well. We still have to be righteous in a world where much evil exists. But to return evil for evil is sure to lead to destruction. To fail to practice Christian principles is surely a passport to failure. In our day when many wrong choices are made in government, in leadership capacities, in nations dealing with other nations, in the fabric of home life and rearing children, and in the fellowship of our churches, we should again look at God’s way and His guarantee that if we make a sincere and concerted effort to follow His way, life will be richer, happier and certainly more bearable. Some may call me an idealist and declare that this is not possible. But if it were impossible in practical living, it would not have been written in the Word of Life. There are innumerable benefits that accrue to the one who seeks to live righteously. In Isaiah 48:17 the prophet reiterates what the writer of Proverbs teaches: “Thus saith the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am that Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.’ ” This is the Lord’s way; walk in it!- Ethelene Dyer Jones 06.07.2015