Blessings For Living Upright (Psalm 97:11)

Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11

As a kid, I was short and skinny.  One day, I got ahold of a muscle man magazine.  It was then that I determined that I was going to be big with muscles.  Immediately, I started an exercise program and dietary changes.  For breakfast, I had Wheaties with wheat germ sprinkled on top.  After breakfast, I forced myself to consume a table spoon of black strap molasses.  The stuff was nasty, but I was told that it would make me big and strong.  So, i ate it anyway.  After weeks of this program, it seemed as if there wasn't  any benefit.  I wasn't bigger and definitely not stronger.  So because of my disdain for the molasses and the lack of recognizable benefits, I quit the program.

Some people after living the Christian begin to think that there isn't any benefit.  They don't see miracles happening in their lives and they continue to struggle with sin and the attacks of the enemy.  Sadly to say, many drop out of the heavenly race.  The legalist crowd would say that these people were never saved.  I think that they became disillusioned and discouraged.

Regardless of how things appear, there are benefits for living for The Lord.  Psalm 97:11 states that light will be sown for the righteous.  When the clouds of trials and troubles loom overhead, we can rest that The Lord will shed light on the direction that we should go.  The skies will not part open like a scroll nor will the mountains shake, but nonetheless The Lord will lead.  More than likely, we will not recognize his leading until after we have arrived at his place.

Another promised benefit for those living for The Lord is gladness.  Gladness is what the entire world is looking for.  They will not find it in the bottom of a bottle, in a pill vial or in the pleasure of sin.  Their money cannot buy it and fame or position will not yield its peaceable fruit.  Gladness comes to the upright in heart.

These blessings can be considered much like salt when cooking.  You may not recognize when it is added, but you sure can tell when it is missing.  If you are facing difficulties, don't bail out on God and miss the promised blessings that he has for you.  The benefit will be worth it and the loss will be great.