“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11, NKJV)
I understand that He provides, protects, gives grace (undeserved favor) and glory to His people. But this verse also says that He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. Grasping this part is a bit trickier.
Does “upright” mean righteous? If it does, the Bible is clear that no one is righteous. We all sin and fall short. God can declare us righteous through faith (admitting sin and trusting Jesus Christ to save us from eternal damnation) but living a totally righteous life is not possible. Instead, the dictionary says “upright” is not so much being perfect as it is living an honorable and honest life. When I fail, I must admit it, but my focus remains on honoring Christ by the way I live. That is being “upright.”
The perplexing part of the verse is that bit about “no good thing.” What good things will God give me?
In most minds, good things are comfort, quality of life, health, intelligence, talented, nice possessions, popularity, and being at the top of the heap in at least one area of life. I’m thinking, but cannot remember any promises in the Bible for those things. So then, what are the “good things” this verse talks about?
Since God is eternal, they are likely not temporary possessions or values, but things that last forever. The first eternal good thing that comes to mind is life itself, not physical breathing life (which is a good thing too) but that vibrancy that Jesus called “abundant life” and promises to all who follow Him. It’s hard to define. It is not quantity as much as quality, a life linked to God with His Spirit as a power supply, a life that continues after this body dies. Although this life is not earned by walking “uprightly” (it is more the reason I can), I must live honestly and honorably to fully enjoy it.
The second good thing that I can think of is the character of Jesus Christ. God wants me to be like Him. In fact, He promises that “when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). This good thing also lasts forever.
One more good thing is just the awareness of being connected with God. When I live uprightly, I’m quick to sense His presence, alert to hear His direction, more apt to pray in His will and receive answers. This sense of walking hand-in-hand with God Himself is maybe the greatest “good thing.” With it comes peace, joy, purpose and deep contentment.
I have experienced some discomfort, poverty and illness. I may not be the brightest person with the most talent, the most stuff, or the most friends. I am certainly not the “best” at anything. But God allows me to abide in Christ and Christ to live in me. With those “good things” I can handle missing out on that other stuff.
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