“The righteousness of the blameless will smooth their way and keep it straight, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness 6The righteousness of the upright will rescue them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.”

Proverbs 11:5-6 AMP

Verses 5 & 6 of Proverbs chapter 11 give us a contrasting view of the results of following the proper way. The word “righteousness” in both verses is the Hebrew word meaning to “doing what is required according to a defined standard.” In legal matters it is the “state or condition of deciding what is right in a legal case without prejudice.” It means to decide a question of right or wrong, thereby determining guilt or innocence and the application of appropriate punishment or reward.” The key to this determination are the words “without prejudice.” Prejudice is exactly what is sounds like, pre-judging. It is defined as the process of making a decision that is not based upon sound reasoning or actual experience. Here is where the world is guilty before God. They are pre-judging Him and His ways before truly experiencing them or taking time to understand them! God is not afraid pf examination of His ways and invites all to evaluate them. Speaking to Isaiah about the condition of the people God said,

““Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool.”

Isaiah 1:18 AMP

Of course, the standard by which we are commanded to live our lives can be found only in the owner’s manual of life, the Bible. We see the word “blameless.” It means “pertaining to a person or condition of moral goodness, with a focus of being guiltless and liable for sin or wrong.” 

We read in the book of Psalms the following in support of our “moral behavior,”

“Your word I have treasured and stored in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” 

Psalm 119:11 AMP

In the book of numbers, God give the people a promise of blessing and abundance if they follow His Word. He warns them the opposite will happen if they forsake it.

“But if you do not do this, behold, you will have sinned against the LORD; and be sure that your sin will find you out.”

Numbers 32:23 AMP

This is exactly what the Proverb is telling us. The way of righteousness is one of reward and safety while the way of the wicked will ends in destruction. As we watch the moral code of the world circling the drain, we must remember that as our light shines, the darker the day, the brighter our light. I will be impossible for the righteous to remain unseen in the midst of the evil time in which we live. Holding fast to God’s Word is the only salvation and place of safety that we have.

The Psalmist wrote,

“The [boundary] lines [of the land] have fallen for me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.”

Psalms 16:6 AMP

The writer was saying that the ways of God leading his life had a great reward. In both verses above, there are rewards for following His path. The result is a blameless life before His as Christ has taken our sin upon Himself. A smooth and straight way, meaning not suffering the consequences of an immoral life. A protected life from the consequences of sinful behavior and unwarranted attacks from our enemy the Devil!

May you today find His Word falling in a pleasant place in your life and the benefits of His love and grace are producing a good harvest in your life! Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken