PROVERBS 14:2
“He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.”
I encourage you to walk uprightly.
I encourage you to remain in right standing with God.
I encourage you to continue to obey the word of God and to do the will of God.
That is a sign that you fear Him !
“He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD. The fear of the LORD, that is the beginning of wisdom. And wisdom is profitable to direct. Wisdom will make you to walk uprightly, to walk in uprightness that is based on the word of God. But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth Him.”
Even if they despise you because you are walking in the truth, you are walking in the way of the LORD:
Remain walking in the way of the LORD,
Remain walking in the truth.
For “When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” [Ref: Proverbs 16:7].
So, walk in the ways that please the LORD. Refuse that anything will take you away from walking uprightly.
The Scripture also says in Proverbs 16 verse 17 –
“The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.”
So, the highway, the way of the upright:
Is to depart from evil,
Is to do good,
Is to walk in the way of the truth,
to walk in the word of God,
to walk in the way of the LORD, the truth and the life that is in Christ Jesus.
So, follow this highway, which is the highway of the upright, so that you will continue to keep and preserve your soul through obedience to the word of God.
He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: Because he walks in the truth, the way that pleases the LORD. Even if it makes him to lack, he knows that he doesn’t lack integrity. He walks in the integrity of the word of God.
As the Scripture says in Proverbs 28 verse 6 –
“Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.”
Don’t follow the perverse ways to be rich. You are better off to being poor, but walking in uprightness, walking in the way of the LORD.
Do not allow anything to take you away from walking in the way of the LORD.
Do not allow anything to take you away from the truth, because there is benefit in walking in the way of the LORD. There are both immediate and eternal benefit in walking in the way of the LORD.
See what Solomon said concerning His father David, when God appeared to him.
He could boast about how his father walked, and how God had profited him because of his father.
In that 1 Kings 3 verse 6 –
“And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.”
When you walk in the truth, when you remain the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, walking in His ways in uprightness of heart, serving the LORD with a perfect heart : God knows how to reward you. He is a rewarder And He knows how to perfect that which concerns you !
I ENCOURAGE YOU:
Walk in uprightness of heart.
Do not walk in a perverse way.
Don’t despise the word of God.
See what was said concerning Job 1 verse 1. It says –
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
Learn to fear God. He that walks uprightly and is perfect in his ways –
Is he that feareth the LORD,
Is he that knows to walk in the wisdom of God,
Is he that has purposed to fulfil the word of God.
The fear of God will make you to walk perfectly and uprightly, and to avoid evil and evil ways. But if you despise the word of God and you refuse to fear and reverence the Holy Name of God in all you are doing, you will walk perversely.
Make it a point that you will not walk perversely.
This should be your prayers. ... Psalm 25:21 –
“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.”
Therefore,
Learn to wait on the LORD.
Don’t be in a hurry.
Learn to be patient to wait on the LORD and to walk according to the principles of the word of God.
Refuse that anything will make you to despise the word of God, to walk perversely, because eventually, if you walk perversely you will be destroyed.
There is benefit in walking uprightly in the fear of God. So, learn to walk uprightly. Purpose in your heart that nothing will take you away from walking uprightly.
Malachi 2 verse 5 says –
“My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.”
Because he feared the Name of the LORD, because he walked uprightly with a perfect heart, God gave him the covenant of life and peace.
You want the covenant of life and peace?
Walk perfectly!
Walk uprightly in your heart, serving the LORD in spirit and in truth.
Malachi 2 verse 6 further says –
“The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.”
So, he that walk uprightly will help to turn many away from iniquity !
Walk perfectly, walk uprightly in your heart, in the fear of God. And purpose to turn many away from iniquity; for ‘He that winneth soul is wise.’
A wise man will walk uprightly. Because he has the wisdom of God, he will not walk perversely. For “He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.”
When you are perverse in your ways, you will despise God, you will not fear God !
WHAT IS BEING PERVERSE?
That is - you are deliberate and obstinate to do things that are contrary to the word of God.
When you do things contrarily to the word of God: ... i.e. you know what the word of God says, and you purpose in your heart to go against it, you are perverse in your ways.
When you despise the word of God, you will be perverse in your ways and in all you do. And that is a sign that you don’t fear God.
Those who are perverse in their ways will not hear those who are telling them the truth that is based on the word of God.
See what Job said to his mocking friends in Job 12 verse 4. He said –
“I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.”
Yeah, people may laugh you to scorn, they may mock you, they may say all kinds of things; but I want you to be encouraged by what our Lord and Saviour said in the Gospel of Luke chapter 10 verse 16. He said–
“He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.”
If they are laughing at you to scorn, If they mock you, … just be encouraged ! Because you are representing Christ, they are also mocking Christ!! Because you are representing Christ, they are also mocking God by mocking you!!!
So, be consistent and persistent in being upright, speaking the truth, standing for the truth and refusing that any one will take you away from the truth; or that their mocking, and despising will make you to abandon the truth.
Don’t abandon the truth. Remain in the truth; for it is the truth that will set you free. And nobody can do anything against the truth, but for the truth.
So, let them mock, let them scorn; but you: remain; because eventually, the same truth that they are mocking and despising is the truth that will judge them.
As Romans chapter 2 verse 4 tells us –
“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
So, be consistent with the truth, eschew evil, continue to show good; for we have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works. And that good work is to continue to share the Gospel of good news to the people.
Even if they despise you, they despise you because they do not know that the goodness of God should lead them to repentance. But remain steadfast preaching the truth.
Continuing in that Romans 2 verse 5 – 6
“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;”
Verse 6: “Who will render to every man according to his deeds:”
LISTEN AND KNOW THIS:
Don’t despise the word of God because it will judge you one day.
The same word that is being preached to save you, will end up judging you, … if you reject it and despise it.
TODAY is an opportunity for you to cease from your perverse ways, and come into the way, the truth and the life that is in Christ Jesus. And as you do this, remain blessed.