Pastor's blog

 The Light of the Upright

Psa. 112:4 – Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness (KJV)

I was attracted to this thought by the promised benefit extended to the upright. But when I think of uprightness, it is difficult for me to anticipate blessings coming from it. Being upright seems to carry the connotation of responsibility, expectation, and duty. I am to be upright because God requires it of me. Why should I expect to be rewarded for something I am expected to do? Besides, there are plenty of people who thoughtlessly violate the rules of uprightness, and they seem to be doing quite well. The less upright they are, the more money they make, the more honor they get, the more popularity they enjoy. Why, their success is enough to give the upright lifestyle a bad name!

Every time my mind is headed for the gutter of carnal speculation, I tend to run headlong into a passage such as the one that lies before us. At that point my speculations take a turn for the better as I reflect upon the connection between uprightness and the value of a good name (Prov. 22:1). The reward for uprightness may not be tangible or immediate, but its benefit does have an enduring quality. However, the psalmist allows me no time to rest in the second-rate comfort with which I have chosen to console my spirit, for he challenges me with a promise that defies the very laws of nature. He assures me that if I do not forsake the upright lifestyle, that light will suddenly appear out of nowhere.

Uprightness has given me something I can use. First, the light begins to rehabilitate my thinking about uprightness. I realize that I am not doing God a favor by being upright.We are not called to uprightness so that we may have something about which we may boast in Christ; but, rather, so that Christ may have something about which He may boast in us. Of Job the Lord boasted, “Have you considered my servant Job … a perfect and an upright man” (Job 1:8)? Second, the light keeps me from begrudging the expectation of the Lord. I am reminded of the fact that without holiness no man shall see God (Heb. 12:14). 

Third, the light is the vindication I receive toward those who seem to be violating the rules of uprightness with impunity. For I tend to forget that darkness may be something I have to go through from time to time. But for them darkness is something they live in all the time. For me darkness may be a way in life; but for them darkness is a way of life. I think about the fact that light gives me the key to solving all of life’s problems, a benefit to which those who shun uprightness are not entitled. And, finally, I reflect upon the irrepressible hope that accompanies the promise of light. No darkness can attach it self to my soul but whose grip will be broken by the light that belongs to the upright.