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7 The righteous walk in integrity—happy are the children who
follow them!
There is a story in scripture about two men who each
needed to build a home. One finished quickly, building on sandy soil. The
other man spent months, building his home on a rocky hill. As time passed,
a heavy storm came upon both these houses, and the house built on sand
swept away, while the other stood firm.
In a series of verses in Proverbs 20, scripture simply traces
the details of a righteous life. But every proverb can be drawn down to the
shape and understanding of a man’s heart. That is a heart that is
pure, honorable, and diligent. But the molding of this “righteous man”
begins with the roots he develops in God’s word (Proverbs 20:7). In Matthew
7, Jesus said that whoever heard and obeyed His word would be like the man
that built his home upon a rock. But the foolish one is easily “led astray”
come “deep waters” (Proverbs 20:1,5)
The problem isn’t however, understanding this truth. Most of us
have grown up having memory verses drilled in us. But unfortunately, that
isn’t enough. God calls us to be so immersed in His word, that everything
we say and do is shaped by God’s voice. But in a culture, that celebrates
speed and façades, scripture study is rarely at the top of our to do list.
Moreover we’ve become so good at pretending that what we’re currently
rooted in is solid, that we fail to recognize when most of it is made of
sand.
The very standards we’ve learned in our homes: a good school, a
steady job, and the latest gear, though important, has become the
equivalent of a firm foundation. But God warns us against living “on bread
alone” (Matthew 4:4). Because when school, work, income, and tech become
the epicenter by which you live, then your survival becomes dependent on
things that are not impervious to the works of a storm. You are living on
sand. But God desires for you to live on His Word. So that in light of deep
waters, you will stand above. But this isn’t something to simply know. You
need begin the journey of learning God’s Word, because you won’t fully
understand the strength of it, or the goodness of the righteousness that
follows, until it’s power works in your own life.
PRAYER
God we pray that our lives would by built by and on your Word.
We’re sorry for constantly falling into what the world desires for us,
instead of the good that you promise. But we pray that you would remain at
the center of our lives. Give us the wisdom and discernment to live a life
that is worthy of your name. Amen.
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THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY:
“What else died so that you could be made new? When was the last time the
world promised satisfaction, and actually came through? –Jefferson Bethke
[Counterfeit Gods]
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