The Path of the Good

For Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Proverbs 2:20-22

20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

Do you want to walk in the way of the good and of the righteous? Then seek wisdom. That is the lesson of chapter 2. Christians seek "a word from the Lord." They want special guidance. They like being able to say, "The Lord told me to do such and such," or "The Lord revealed to me that I am going to..." If you truly want to walk in the way of the good, then focus on learning the way through God's revealed written Word. There you will find wisdom.

Even so, many study God's Word without growing in wisdom. That is because learning information and demonstrating proficiency in mastering that information is more important to them than growing in wisdom. If you want to walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous, then be attentive to the wisdom of God's Word.

What do you gain? The eternal inheritance of God's kingdom. The upright will inhabit the land of God's kingdom. He who is wise understands this. He who is wise looks to the heavenly city, not the earthly city, for his hope. He who is wise knows that the blessings and the curses of this life are a momentary joy or momentary sorrow compared to the "weight of glory" that is his in Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:17). That is why he is not racked with anxiety or with anger when confronted with the troubles of life. That is why he can walk along the path of the good. The wicked see only this life; their hope is only in what can be found in this life. And so when this life is ended for them, they are cut off from the eternal land of God's kingdom.

Do you seek the heavenly city, the eternal reward? Do you desire to walk along the path of the good? Then seek wisdom. Do not look for it in special revelation. Seek it in God's clearly revealed Word.