The Pattern of the Godly and Good

UV 2805/10000 The Pattern of the Godly and Good
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Psalm 37 v 23
The steps of a man of God are directed, guided, led by the Lord. His actions and reactions are not self directed, emotion-driven or led by man-made ideas and philosophies. He delights in following the ways of the Lord. He is not a reluctant follower. He diligently studies the Word in order to conform to the patterns of the word in this world. He knows that though there is no innate goodness in him, he is only reflecting the goodness or light of the Lord in him and upon him. The templates or models set forth in the word become his guidelines. It influences the choices he makes every single day and even every thought he thinks and every word he speaks. He does not rely on his own wisdom or whims or emotions or the wisdom of the world. He does not seek or receive ungodly gain. He is conscious of the presence of the Lord all the time. He is filled with the power of love rather than the love of power. He is neither violent nor deceitful. He is not easily deceived, too. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Triune God, is the Director of his life even as a film director directs each step of an actor in a movie. He always goes to the Lord in prayer before taking any major decision and acknowledges the Lord all the time. He realizes that he is neither alone nor helpless in the pursuit of success, happiness or fulfilment. He is not bewildered when the situation becomes adverse for He knows whose he is and He believes and trusts the love, wisdom and power of God to save him.
In allowing the word to direct our ways, we pay a cost in this world in being different, in not being able to take short cuts but the benefit is that we will not stumble and fall. We will end up making fewer blunders that would have cost us our peace, our health, our joy or even our lives. The Lord preserves us from evil and keeps us from foolish decisions. It is not as if we do not face troubles and challenges but the Lord will be with us in our troubles and afflictions. We may sometimes fall as even a righteous person may fall seven times but each time the Lord will strengthen us and set us back on our feet.
The world is compared to a slippery pit, a miry quagmire which will easily ensnare the feet of the person who is not deeply rooted in the word of God. The Lord takes us out of this miry pit and allows none of our steps or actions to slide or cause our downfall. He establishes us in the ways of Jesus who is the Rock of life. We have a model of perfection, of goodness, of wisdom, of love in Jesus. We only need to look to Him as the author and perfector of our faith. We only need to imitate Him in all that we think, say and do. When we do so, the Lord God delights in us. He will establish us in our ways. He will prosper us in our work and in all that we do.
Prateep V Philip