"The Right of Life" -4

"O continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee; and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart." (Psalms 36:10) Most assuredly rectitude is part of the problem that we deal with, day in and day out, because it is hard to live a righteous life; but to be "upright in heart", that is a whole other thing, in and of it's self. Righteousness with God is pure and perfect; God is Holy and totally without sin, or any of the darkness that is associated with it; we on the other hand are not; man's righteousness can only strive towards holiness, thus the meaning of rectitude for us is moral integrity, or making the right judgments; but it in no way comes close to the righteousness of God. Contrast the way that is right with the way that is wrong, and then choose the right way that leads to eternal life, that's what is meant by the "upright in heart". That does not mean that we are going to be righteous in the process, because righteousness is not within our ability to achieve; but we are purposely taking the position that leads to the right of life, not the wrong direction that leads to sin and death. To perfectly read the second part of this verse, we need to insert "O continue" before "Thy righteousness to the upright in heart"; that way we can better understand that without God's righteousness being poured out, our righteousness does not stand on it's own. A simple way to look at that, might be, to consider your breathing is not possible on your own; sure you can breath, but you only breath because God continues to allow you to breath; He holds everything in His perfect righteousness, even our very lives; there is nothing that is outside of God's control, or that His righteous nature does not hold in a balance. When it comes to God's righteousness, He does not make mistakes; unlike us, God never says "Oops", nor does He make wrong judgments; His ways are perfect in every way. That said; His creation does not always follow that same rule; whether we are talking about angels, man, the elements of the earth, or the heavens above; everything falls short of God's perfection, and there is nothing that even comes close. The very best that we can do, is to love God within all that is within us; which is all that He is expecting from us, and all that He is asking us to do. The upright in heart do those things that are pleasing to God, because they want to please the One that loves them, by showing Him that they love Him back; without that, there really is no Right of Life... "I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that breareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the words which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall you be My disciples. As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love." (John 15:1-9)