Continue Walking Rightly
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Introduction
Introduction
Water ALWAYS takes the path of least resistance. It is easy to walk down the road when there are no troubles and there is no danger. There is also little growth on that path and there is little life. Any dead fish can float down stream, but only the live ones can turn around and swim against the current and against much resistance.
Psalm 37 as we remember was written by David in the twilight of his life. He is writing from the position of experience of a life lived of walking with God. It is a difficult path to walk and there are many challenges along the way. Jesus spoke of two paths.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.
The answer to how do we respond when the wicked around us seem to be triumphing and winning and gaining over us. Is it time to throw in the towel, is it time to live by the platitude - if you cant beat em then join em? No we must continue walking rightly and David gives us the ways that we can do that.
23 A person’s steps are established by the Lord, and he takes pleasure in his way. 24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord supports him with his hand. 25 I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread.
26 He is always generous, always lending, and his children are a blessing. 27 Turn away from evil, do what is good, and settle permanently. 28 For the Lord loves justice and will not abandon his faithful ones. They are kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked will be destroyed.
29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it permanently. 30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom; his tongue speaks what is just. 31 The instruction of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
Right Steps Established By The Lord
Right Steps Established By The Lord
23 A person’s steps are established by the Lord, and he takes pleasure in his way. 24 Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the Lord supports him with his hand.
David says that a person’s steps are established by the LORD. Now its not in here, but the original language isnt talking about every person’s steps being established by the LORD. The original language and intent is that the good man’s steps are established by the LORD. Their steps are ordered, founded or set upon by the LORD. Walking rightly requires right steps and right steps are established by the LORD. The steps are ordered and established by the LORD - this means which steps are taken, how many steps are taken and also most importantly when those steps are taken. This is important and we dont want to miss this - but this also indicates that not only the forward progress of steps is ordered by the LORD but also the stops in between steps. The stops or times or waiting, inactivity, or forced rest are also established by the LORD. It also says that he takes pleasure in his way - and I struggled to understand which he is he. Is it He the LORD who takes pleasure in the way of the one whose steps He the LORD establishes? Or is it he the ones who steps are established by the LORD takes pleasure in His the LORD’s way? I believe it is correct both ways. God takes pleasure in the way of the one whose steps He has established, and the one whose steps are established by the LORD takes pleasure in the LORD’s way.
The LORD is pleased with the one who walks in His way, and the one who walks in the way of the LORD finds pleasure in His ways.
David says the person finds pleasure in his way and I think that is because of what he writes next in verse 24. Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, because the LORD supports Him with His hand. To be overwhelmed is to be hurled down or thrown down forcefully. David knows that the way the LORD has us walk in and the steps He orders for us are not always easy and they arent always necessarily safe but neither will He lead us into destruction or temptation that is beyond our strength unless He gives also His strength to us.
9 He guards the steps of his faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness, for a person does not prevail by his own strength.
9 He keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to slip.
13 No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.
If you stumble along the way - perhaps struggling with obedience or faith He wont cast you off or kick you out. When we fall and slip on the LORD’s path He picks up up with His own hand.
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter answered him, “command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
What a strong hand to lift Peter from the water
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
14 The Lord helps all who fall; he raises up all who are oppressed.
Steps Marked By Generous and Good Works
Steps Marked By Generous and Good Works
25 I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread. 26 He is always generous, always lending, and his children are a blessing. 27 Turn away from evil, do what is good, and settle permanently.
28 For the Lord loves justice and will not abandon his faithful ones. They are kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked will be destroyed. 29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it permanently.
David then remarks about how the steps of the one walking rightly are marked by generosity and doing good works. David speaks about his whole life experience from young to old he has never seen the righteous abandoned (forsaken) or his (the righteous man’s or God’s) children begging for bread. David was aware of a time when there was a fearful famine in the land and some fled to Moab - Ruth 1. When they returned after several disastrous years in Moab they found the people of Bethlehem had been provided for.
15 All eyes look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.
3 The Lord will not let the righteous go hungry, but he denies the wicked what they crave.
If someone objects that he has known instances where these things have actually happened, two answers come to mind. First, David may have meant that he never knew of the righteous man to be finally forsaken. The second is this, he may have been stating a general principle, without barring the possibility of isolated exceptions. Scripture often makes sweeping statements describing the normal outworking of spiritual laws. Exceptions do not disprove the overall principles.
He is always generous always lending and his children are a blessing. Again I struggled to determine if David is writing about the one walking rightly or the LORD. Again I say both are true. The one who steps are established by the LORD are always generous, open handed and their children are seen as a blessing, but also so is the LORD to the one whose steps He establishes He is giving and His children are a blessing to Him.
5 Good will come to the one who lends generously and conducts his business fairly.
9 He distributes freely to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. His horn will be exalted in honor.
42 Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Those who walk rightly are called to be generous because God Himself is generous. Generosity is one way to shine within a dark world. A world that says look out for number one 1st.
6 Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard. 9 At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,
10 and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday.
The one who is walking rightly and steps are ordered by the LORD are not only marked by generosity but also by good works. Not some good works here and there but a lifestyle of good works. David writes that in order to do the good works one must turn away from evil. Get off the path of evil, turn aside or leave the path of evil, and instead do what is good. Do that which is moral and admirable. Interesting to note here - In order to leave the path of evil completely one MUST DO what is good. You cannot leave the path of evil while refusing to do what is good.
17 So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.
While it seems here (and many point to this passage to show that the Bible teaches salvation by works we know from other parts of the Bible that this is not the case. No one can be saved by their own works or each others works, only by the work of Jesus on the cross is anyone saved.
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.
5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Saved by faith not works - but it is also written that faith without works is dead.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?
17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works.
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
The LORD loves justice and will not abandon His faithful ones - they are kept safe forever. The believer is secure in the LORD not because of good works but because they are His children and they are a blessing to Him.
F. W. Dixon wrote: If you lack assurance there is only one way to gain it or regain it—take the Word of God. Take it and believe it. God says you are His; that you are safe and absolutely secure, and that He will never let you go; take a large dose of that.
5 Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous ripped out of it.
Sure Steps Built In Instruction
Sure Steps Built In Instruction
30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom; his tongue speaks what is just. 31 The instruction of his God is in his heart; his steps do not falter.
David brings us full circle in that right steps established by the LORD are steps built upon instruction - His instruction! The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. His mouth is full of wisdom. What he speaks is sound, just and not crooked or deceitful.
34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.”
17 “Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.
The righteous person walking in the steps ordered by the LORD speaks wisdom for their steps are buitl in the instruction of the LORD and that instruction being in the heart. The law of God is in his heart. His steps are sure and they do not falter because the word of the LORD upholds him. His steps are sure -footed and they do not falter - they do not slip, waiver, pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness). David is saying the steps of the righteous are sure because they are formed in the instruction of the LORD.
The best thing — the law of God
In the best place — in his heart
producing the best results — his steps do not slip
Spurgeon
8 I delight to do your will, my God, and your instruction is deep within me.”
11 I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.
Conclusion
Conclusion
In the face of dark days and evil seemingly triumphing around us it is possible to continue walking rightly.
We continue walking rightly when we recognize that God establishes every step we take —the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the positive and the negative.
This includes our going out and our coming in, our lying down and our getting up, our waking and our sleeping, our buying and our selling, our talking and our listening, and our walking and our driving as well as our activity, inactivity and our waiting and even forced rest. Because he is God, there are no accidents with him. Nothing ever happens to the child of God by luck, chance or fate. No circumstance—whether good or bad—can come to us apart from God’s determined purpose for us.
We can continue walking rightly when we remember that God promises that when we fall, we will not be overwhelmed because He supports us with His own hands.
When the path is narrow and winding, it’s hard not to fall sometimes. Life is like that. We all stumble in many ways. God will not allow us to be overwhelmed or overtaken. Nothing can happen that will utterly destroy us or sever our relationship with him. The reason is clear. He upholds us with his mighty hand. Think of a father walking along with his young son by his side. There are two ways father and son might hold hands. The young boy may reach up with his tiny hand to grasp his father’s huge hand. That works until the child stumbles and he is forced to let go of his father’s hand. But if the father places his huge hand around his son’s tiny hand, the boy is safe no matter what happens because his father’s hand holds him up. He may stumble but the father’s hand “upholds” him.
Walking rightly takes marked steps. Steps marked by generosity and good works.
Walking rightly requires a heart so full of God’s word so that the mouth speaks forth justice and wisdom.
If you are not a child of God already, then your first step that must be taken is the step before the foot of the cross. Repent of your sin and ask for forgiveness provided by Christ.