The Path of the Good

Proverbs 2:20-22

20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,

22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

What do you gain by walking the path of the good? You gain the eternal inheritance of God's kingdom. The upright will inhabit the land of God's kingdom. He who is wise understands this inheritance. He who is wise looks to the heavenly city, not the earthly city, for his hope. He who is wise knows that the blessings and the curses of this life are a momentary joy or momentary sorrow compared to the "weight of glory" that is his in Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:17). That is why he is not racked with anxiety or with anger when confronted with the troubles of life. That is why he can walk along the path of the good. The wicked see only this life; their hope is only in what can be found in this life. That is why they are lured to the forbidden woman and steal and murder. And so when this life is ended for them, they are cut off from the eternal land of God's kingdom.

Do you seek the heavenly city, the eternal reward? Then walk along the path of the good. Keep your eyes straight ahead. Put your hope in Christ who has saved you for such an end. Call upon the Spirit who gives you the power to walk that path. Rely on God who has called you such a destiny. Each day, remember the path you are to walk and the “land” that awaits you.