He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless…
Summary: The Bible explains the Bible with stories, histories, and illustrations.
Who does not want to be a success in life? Who would turn away the opportunity to be safe? Both of the promises in today’s verse have a certain appeal. The question I have is, “What part of my nature do these promises appeal to?”
When I was in grade school, we had a set of small, brightly colored books I used to enjoy reading. They were Bible stories. Each book was short, easy to read, and very well illustrated. One story, in particular, has always stood out in my memory. It is called, “The Parable of the Rich Fool.”
The parable is told by Jesus in Luke 12: 16-21. It is the story of a man of wealth who has a very good year. Jesus says that the man’s farm yielded an “abundant harvest.” It must have been a truly prodigious amount of grain because the man believed he could retire of the harvest and “Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.”
In the world’s view, this is the definition of success. More money than you can ever use and the opportunity to indulge in every form of enjoyment that you can think of.
The story frightened me because God was not pleased with the man. Seeing what he did and hearing what his plans were, God said, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”
Later, when I began to read the Bible every day, I discovered the story about Ezra returning to Jerusalem from Babylonia. He had the king’s permission to return to Jerusalem to teach the people the Law of Moses. He was given a great deal of gold and silver to take for use in the newly rebuilt temple.
Before departing to transport the people with him and the riches destined for the temple, Ezra and those with him fasted and prayed for God’s protection. Ezra explains:
“I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road because we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.’” (Ezra 8:22)
Why these two stories?
It is important for us to understand God’s Word from God’s perspective. God already owns everything. There is nothing worth having that he does not already own. To be successful is to serve God well. Of course, those who are upright already know this.
It is the same for the threats of this world. What power or threat is there that is greater than God’s ability to protect us from? Those whose walk is blameless trust in the Lord for their security.
Application: Look for success as God defines it. Trust God in everything.
Food for Thought: What does it mean to be blameless and upright?
Scripture tells us in Job 1:1 “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.”
We already know that only Jesus was truly born and lived “blameless and upright” I believe the last part of this verse tells us what it means to be blameless and upright in the eyes of God: “fear God and shun evil.” Being blameless and upright is more of a personal endeavor, a commitment, and a minute by minute decision to serve the Lord and walk with Him. It has more to do with humility before God.
Chris,
Thank you! This is an interesting and important topic to wrestle with. It is one thing to be perfect before God on our own merit. It is an entirely different thing to be seen a righteous in God’s eyes because a person’s heart is devoted to God.
Jesus did both. He was perfect in deed and devoted in his heart.
According to the dictionary, to be blameless means “innocent of wrongdoing” and to be upright means a person is acting “upright and honest.” We can strive to live blameless and upright, but as Chris pointed out, Jesus is the only one who actually achieved this.
I believe our thoughts alone can make it difficult to live blamelessly because in all honesty, we all think things at times that are not kind or pleasing (or how Jesus would surely think), or we might take an extra glance towards someone of the opposite sex we find attractive despite being in a committed relationship, or perhaps no one at work would notice a few extra pens or post-it note pads being taken from the supply room for home rather than purchasing them for ourselves. These are all somewhat minor examples of wrong doings compared to what’s going on in the world, but nonetheless, big or small, these are still things that make it difficult to live blamelessly.
I think living upright is a little more easier if we are in the Word and praying as doing these things. help us become closer to the still inner voice within us. I know if I am listening, I will feel convicted to do even the smallest acts to remain honest. After all, the people around me may not know I didn’t pay 5 cents for the bag when I went through the checkout line, but God knows I didn’t. It’s remaining honest with Him and myself whether others know it or not.
I would rather trust in the Lord (Prov. 3:4-5) and have success as defined by God than to have success as defined by man. I would rather do my best to present myself to God as one approved, a person who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of Truth (2 Tim 2:15), than to be rich by the world’s standards. My judgment will come from Him in the end, not my neighbors, not my co-workers, not any of any significance. It will come from Him – the one and only person who knows what it’s like to live blameless and upright.
Darla,
I love your examples! I have had the same experience with the Spirit convicting me for even looking at a paper clip that is not mine while considering taking it. These little spiritual “ow-ies” are hurts that can scar over and harden a heart. I don’t want that. It is not worth any amount of money to scar our hearts.
02-01-2022, Proverbs 2:7, What does it mean to be blameless and upright?
Chris Got it. Blameless is our condition in Christ while upright is the power of the Holy Spirit as we live lives turning from all that would break our relationship with God.
Job 1:1, 1:8, 19:25
Excellent devotion and comments.
Strong’s points out that the Hebrew words represent being conscientious and having integrity. As Chris points out, Job was a great example of that. So was Daniel and Noah. In fact, Ezekiel 14: 14 mentions these three as having unique integrity and righteousness.
Jesus is the ultimate and only perfect, sinless example. It is His righteousness that we depend on. Yet, we can live lives characterized by integrity and being conscientious – especially after receiving Christ and being guided by the Holy Spirit. In fact, we have no excuse not to do so. Yet, we are told we will struggle with sin and Jesus is the atoning sacrifice that we need. 1 John 1: 5 – 2: 2. But with His help we can live lives of integrity and fear of the Lord.
He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless
What does it mean to be blameless and upright?
I agree with y’all, but I want to dig into something.
Let’s take the parable Jeff mentioned in Luke 12. One, the man starts out rich. Two, his land is productive. Three, he keeps the abundance all to himself. Four, he assumes he will live a long time.
God is not pleased and calls him a fool. He doesn’t acknowledge that God causes his abundance, neither by thanksgiving, nor by sharing. And he thinks he has control over his own life. This is not a display of being blameless or upright.
There’s another parable Matthew 25:14-30 about the talents
The servants were given a number of talents. They were left with their master’s money. Two of them took risks to gain more, not to keep the profits, but to hand them over to their master. One buried it in fear, not wanting to lose any.
When the master returned which were blameless? The two working to give the profits back. Who follow their master’s example of hard work. Not the one who hides it in fear.
So what about these characters show uprightness or not?
The fear of the Lord should make us want to honor Him (as the word fear means reverence). Acknowledge, thank, give back (giving in general actually), live like Him.
The first parable gives us an example of a man who doesn’t fear God. He is greedy and even arrogant.
The second parable has a couple upright, but one who takes the fear of the Lord wrong. Instead of being motivated into action he is paralyzed. Instead of working hard like his master does, he does nothing.
But wait! After I become blameless and upright, God will make me successful and shield me!
Ummm, we better define those too. I mean Jesus’ success was dying on a cross, so if you think success is leisure you got another thing coming. Success for God is all about love, unity, reconciliation, justice, goodness, kindness, discipline, respect, and sacrifice. Those are all the hardest things to do, and none of them guarantee money, house, nice boss, a good government, a nice car, the best TV, the ability to not be injured or get sick….
Okay okay, I get the stuff part but injured and sick, He said He’d be my shield, right? But a shield from……. Yeah that’s the important part, remember who our enemy is? Not disease, not broken bones, but spiritual forces of darkness Eph. 6:12.