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I die devotionals, Nathan Dooley

The path of the righteous | P4-V18

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A Father’s Instruction

Proverbs 4:18

I die daily devotional.

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they stumble.

Gawww I love this verse, it’s so uplifting in contrast to the doom and gloom of our previous verses—although necessary.

The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, our sun ever shining brighter and brighter until the full day in the nether regions across the globe as the earth spins on its axis, providing light for those caught in the thicket of wickedness to the path of righteousness. I pray we’re on the path of righteousness by the grace and mercy of God through Jesus Christ, thank you Lord.

Whenever we’ve been set on the path of the righteous, the experience is like the joy of light when seen at dawn, how the body is moved from wonder to purpose, until finally, glory!

Don’t get me wrong, the process to righteousness is structured on the revelation of Christ, and Christ our Lord, Jesus, suffered the discipline of our Father to the point of death so that we might understand this gift of eternal life through belief in Him. The process of discipline is painful, and thankfully we have the Holy Spirit to help us in our time of need when resisting the temptation of Satan to have the pleasure of sin and belief in “Him”. The death we must die, is a death we died with Christ in baptism, and now comes the testing, but don’t worry, look to the light of dawn as your mental state transforms from the old self to the new.

The measure of righteousness is the brightness of the shine, and so are we shining brighter and brighter or regressing dimmer and dimmer? Just look to the light of dawn—Jesus Christ.

RESOURCE

Proverbs 4 (NASB)—blueletterbible.org | biblegateway.com

COMMENTARY

Chapter 4

Matthew Henry (P4-V18) Commentary
2. “Consider the character of the way itself which thou art warned to shun, compared with the right way which thou art invited to walk in.”

  • (1.) The way of righteousness is light (v. 18): The path of the just, which they have chosen, and in which they walk, is as light; the light shines on their ways (Job 22:28) and makes them both safe and pleasant. Christ is their way and he is the light. They are guided by the word of God and that is a light to their feet; they themselves are light in the Lord and they walk in the light as he is in the light.
    • [1.] It is a shining light. Their way shines to themselves in the joy and comfort of it; it shines before others in the lustre and honour of it; it shines before men, who see their good works, Mt. 5:16. They go on in their way with a holy security and serenity of mind, as those that walk in the light. It is as the morning-light, which shines out of obscurity (Isa. 58:8, 10) and puts an end to the works of darkness.
    • [2.] It is a growing light; it shines more and more, not like the light of a meteor, which soon disappears, or that of a candle, which burns dim and burns down, but like that of the rising sun, which goes forward shining, mounts upward shining. Grace, the guide of this way, is growing; he that has clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. That joy which is the pleasure of this way, that honour which is the brightness of it, and all that happiness which is indeed its light, shall be still increasing.
    • [3.] It will arrive, in the end, at the perfect day. The light of the dayspring will at length be noon-day light, and it is this that the enlightened soul is pressing towards. The saints will not be perfect till they come to heaven, but there they shall themselves shine as the sun when he goes forth in his strength, Mt. 13:43. Their graces and joys shall be all consummate. Therefore it is our wisdom to keep close to the path of the just.