The Upright

"Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
    for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man."
Psalm 112:4

Psalm 112 is full of blessings for the righteous person. The Psalms are comforting and encouraging to us. Even when they speak of difficult times, there is always a word of encouragement for us. This particular psalm is written to encourage those who are righteous and upright. Even though it was written over a thousand years before the age of grace appeared, the Psalmist assured us of the blessings that would follow. 
    We are blessed because we are righteous. When Jesus died, rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, he guaranteed us the opportunity to participate in his righteousness. When we choose to receive him and the work of the cross, we have his right standing with God. Righteousness is not something we can ever earn. Religious people have been trying to attain righteousness for as long as humankind has existed. But it is impossible. The only way to have right standing with God is through his Son, Jesus Christ. There is blessing that comes along with righteousness. The greatest blessing of all is the eternal life we have in Christ. We are assured of our future. There is nothing that can take that away from us. 
     There is still the issue of the "Upright." This is different than our guaranteed righteousness. The upright person is one who is growing in their relationship with God and perfecting holiness here on earth. Notice that the blessings guaranteed the upright are not things promised for the next life, but this one. As we grow in our relationship with God and become more like him, we are given blessings in this lifetime. When we are gracious and compassionate as God is, we can expect blessing to overflow in our lives. There is no darkness where the Upright live. The light of heaven is all around and blessing flows in abundance. 
    Today, we must understand that we have righteousness, and the blessings associated with it are beyond our comprehension. But we must also recognize our need to be upright. There should never be a day, an hour, or a minute that we are not moving toward the holiness of God. Apart from him, we have no chance, but in Christ with the counsel of the Holy Spirit, we can choose to live a pure and upright life before God. It is a growing process that is sometimes difficult, perhaps even painful, but the reward is great. God promises blessing in this life and the next for the righteous and upright. You are one of the righteous, now choose to become one of the Upright.