Upright – The Presidential Prayer Team

No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. – Psalm 84:11

In 1774, Matthew Henry, the well-known pastor and Bible commentator, was on his death bed. At age 52, he was still relatively young and had not yet finished his commentary (others would finish it from his notes). Over the course of his lifetime, he had endured the loss of his first wife and three of his nine children. He could have felt this reason enough to complain, but he said to a friend, “You have been used to take notice of the sayings of dying men, this is mine: That a life spent in the service of God, and communion with Him, is the most comfortable and pleasant life that one can have in the present world.” Henry was a man who walked uprightly.

What does it mean to walk uprightly? Have you ever found yourself asking what God wants you to do? It is a daily question. As you practice your daily dependence on the Lord, you continually ask Him to guide you. As you face significant decisions, you can trust Him to make the way clear.

The prophet Micah wrote, in chapter 6, verse 8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Within this brief passage, God has revealed His answer to you. As you proceed through life doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly before the Lord, you can be confident in His answers and leading. God will provide good things as you walk according to His word.

Justice as the Lord has defined it, kindness as Jesus exemplified it, and humility before God are greatly needed across America. Pray today that, beginning with the nation’s governing officials and working through communities and neighborhoods, people would begin to understand and embrace the basics of upright living. Then the nation will truly be blessed with the “good things.”

Today’s Verse: Psalm 84:11

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
    from those who walk uprightly.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Luke 6:27-38

²⁷“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. ³¹And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

³²“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. ³⁵But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ³⁶Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

³⁷“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”