Paths of Righteousness

So you will walk in the way of good men [that is, those of personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character], And keep to the paths of the righteous(obedience). Proverbs 2:20 (Amplified)

          You are to walk in the ways of good men, not their paths.  The Lord has planned out a perfect path for you and just for you.  If the Lord tells your pastor to eat oranges and broccoli for breakfast, it doesn’t mean you should too.  You can walk in their ways such as obedience to the Word, character, humility, joy, integrity, etc, but even then do not follow after them.  Follow after the Word and the leading of His Spirit for your life, Psalm 119:105, Romans 8:14.  As you are seeking the Lord, your character will line up with other Godly men and women.  Romans 5:5 says the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  We are all filled with the same love of God.  If we are renewing our mind daily through the Word according to Romans 12:2, our character and morals will change also.  This is why the verse above says walk in the WAY of good men.  There is only one way to walk, and that is in humility, integrity, love, respect, not seeking your own desires, but the desires God has for you, etc…  Psalm 25:14, Galatians 5:24, Matthew 23:12, John 12:24.

          You will not find your path of righteousness/obedience from any sermon, teaching, or person’s life.  You will only find it as you spend time in the Word with your Heavenly Father.  Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”  Your path of obedience may entail working at a job driving a certain type of car, both of which the world may call non-prestigious.  While another person’s path  may have them working at a job and driving a car that the world calls prestigious. Does that mean that one’s path is more important? NO! It means that the Father has a master plan and that He uses every individual accordingly. This is no different than all of your body parts having a different function; is the hand more important than the foot, the ear than the eye, etc…, 1 Corinthians 12:18-27.  None of God’s children are more important than the other. The Father needs all of His children doing what He has called them to do. We all have a role in the Kingdom.   God has a unique path just for you.  Humble yourself before God and be willing to obey whatever He shows you is your path of righteousness (Psalm 25:9).  

Your Path of Abundance

Your paths drip with abundance.   Psalm 65:11b

          Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  I would like to highlight the last 2 words of that verse, “MY path.”  It is important to realize that the Word of God illuminates your path and there is a part of your path that is specific and unique to you; things like; your occupation, where you live, where you fellowship, who you marry, etc…  God is great and magnificent in that He has designed a path for everyone.  Along your path, you can expect to find Philippians 4:19.  “And my God shall supply all your needs….”  Psalm 84:11, “…no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”  Matthew 6:33 says, “…all these things shall be added to you.”  Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep him in perfect peace…”  Proverbs 8:21, “That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth….”  We can expect to find these things and more along our own individual path. 

          Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  How do we live abundantly?  We obey God’s Word and stay on our own path!  Psalm 65:11b says that, “Your paths drip with abundance.”  You cannot expect to live in abundance if you are following someone else’s path such as a pastor, friend, parent, etc.  Picture it like an Easter egg hunt.  Imagine a 3-year-old following right behind a 6-year-old as they go out to retrieve the eggs in an open field.  If the 3-year-old follows behind, the 6-year-old will pick up all the eggs and there will be nothing left for the 3-year-old.  You can also picture the game Pacman.  If we were to follow behind Pacman, he would eat all the pac-dots or biscuits.  There would not be an abundance left for us.  However, if we went left and Pacman went right, we would have an abundance.  Do not take this and try to walk a different path from everyone else.  Get into the Word of God, seek Him first, develop an intimate relationship with Him and you will find the Path God has created for you that is dripping with abundance!