“For the Lord God is a sun and shield: he giveth grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
How well I remember my fist real paycheck. I had worked two full weeks in hopes of proving my worth. I was so eager that I picked it up right after school, I forget but I may have even skipped my last class to get there sooner. My ideas of independent wealth were wiped away when I first realized legalized theft in the form of federal and state taxes along with social security, worker’s comp and whatever other excuse they used to withhold from my paycheck. I was furious and frustrated as only teenagers and fools can do so well. It was then I began to learn about “withholdings.”
We have seen this verse a couple of times and now we are ready to deal with the last portion. This is a conditional promise because it requires that you meet a condition to receive the promise. As we walk uprightly, God said he would not “withhold” any good thing from us. Do you want what is good for your life? Have you ever been so confused that you didn’t even know what was good? The answer is simple. Walk uprightly and God will deliver what is good for you. Even better, when God pays you there are no withholdings!
In 7th grade I remember a time when I disobeyed my father and invited friends over after school. When I saw him driving up I tried to get my friends out of the house before he found out. No such luck. I got them out, but not without my father seeing them. Needless to say I was grounded, but what stuck with me the most was the fact that I could not look my father in the eyes. Even my head and shoulders sank towards the ground. I was not able to stand upright because of the shame I felt for betraying a man I admire.
On the contrary, our life’s activities and thoughts should reflect a respect and admiration for God so that we may walk uprightly, without shame. Do you feel like you are lacking goodness in your life? Examine your life and see if it is something that God would be pleased with.
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