Your Righteousness Is Like The Sun

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.
Proverbs 4:18-19

The book of Proverbs is a mother lode of practical wisdom. It offers us priceless counsel by repeatedly contrasting one kind of person with another: the wise man with the fool; the sluggard with the hard worker; the prudent and the simple.

In the broadest sense, however, Proverbs really contrasts two radically different lifestyles: the way of the righteous person—who lives according to God’s law—versus the way of the wicked person—who rejects God’s rule over his or her life.

The differences are nowhere more startling than in today’s promise. There the path (“the way of wisdom,” verse 11) of the righteous person is described as well-lit—with that illumination intensifying over time. The “way of the wicked” (verse 19), meanwhile, is said to be the way of “darkness.” It’s worth noting here that the writer uses a word that means “a thick, deep, almost tangible darkness” (see Exodus 10:22).

In other words, when we live as God intends, we see clearly and live with security. When we take a different path, we stumble (verse 19) and fall. The promise? Follow God’s path, and you will walk in the light.

GOD’S PROMISE TO ME
• When you walk with me, I will illumine your path.

MY PRAYER TO GOD
God, I want to be wise, not foolish. I want to walk on the righteous path, in the light of your truth. When I start to stray, discipline me in your love.