When asking the LORD what my subject is today, He replied, “The Paths of Righteousness”. In looking in His Word for that, it is found in three places. The Word says, Let every word be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses. We have three, so let’s have a look.
The first being Psalm 23:3, “He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

Exactly how does that work? Well, when you look at the first part of that verse, it says “He restores my soul.” That indicates an ongoing or continual action, day in, day out. The LORD knows how very much we need restoration, because, quite frankly, WE’RE BROKEN! We’re damaged goods, even on our best day. There’s a whole world full of broken people out there who drastically need God. I’m one of them, and the only thing that makes me different from an unsaved person, is His continual restoring. I’m no better than anyone else, nor are any of us less a mess than the next person. That’s why we need not only salvation, but the infilling of the Holy Spirit, EVERY DAY! We need restoration!

“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Surely you don’t think the LORD would just save you, then walk out on you, leaving you abandoned? Hardly would a mother leave her newborn in a box on the sidewalk and walk off, yet it has happened before. So maybe we think the LORD will abandon us, because others have? God forbid! Rather, He takes on the responsibility of leading us in the way we should go. Now, it says in the first verse, The LORD is my Shepherd. It’s interesting that the Bible refers to us as sheep. They are an interesting animal. And not too bright, either. Yes, they know the voice of their shepherd, and they won’t follow another, or at least they USUALLY won’t follow another.

They’re known to not see too well. They stray from their shepherd, and he or she has to continually be on the lookout that they don’t wander off, or fall in a hole, or climb under the fence, or get eaten by a wolf or an alligator, if it’s a Louisiana sheep. You see, the LORD LEADS us in the paths of righteousness, but we have to FOLLOW. That seems to be a problem for a lot of us sheep. We want to go where we want to go, even if we end up being wolf treats. Or Gator bait.

Why does the LORD go to so much trouble for us? Glad you asked! It is written that God created mankind in His own image, male and female He created us. Two genders, not fifty five. Yes, we need to be reminded of even that, for some sheep can’t even figure that part out. That’s why we need the LORD to lead us in the paths of righteousness. The devil wants to be our shepherd, and lead us to every hole, every pit, every ditch, every hungry wolf, everything that will kill us. The LORD invites us to enjoy the restoration that was made possible by Christ Jesus of Nazareth, Y’shua Messiah. Restoration, REAL restoration of what you were created by the LORD to be; that is, a son or a daughter of God Almighty. Not just a cheap facsimile thereof, but the real deal.

Another verse is Proverbs 8:20, which says, I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
Please note the “I lead….” That’s the LORD, and He’s the One you want leading you down the road of life, for if we stay in HIS way of righteousness, there will be no unrighteousness found in us. How can that be? It isn’t because of anything we do, or don’t do. It’s because the LORD chooses, when we repent of our sins and become HIS child, that He no longer accounts sin unto us. In fact, it is written in 1 John 3:1-10,
1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

I asked the LORD one day after reading these verses in 1 John 3, “How it is I can no longer sin? There’s nothing stopping me from robbing a 7-11 store, or cussing up a storm, or committing adultery, or any other sin.” He asked, But will you? I said, “No, LORD, I guess I could, but I won’t.” And then I realized, because I’m born again, I’m a new creation, I no longer WANT to do anything that would displease the LORD. That’s because His Holy Spirit in me has made a change in me. And that’s the same reason YOU can no longer sin, if Christ Jesus is your LORD and SAVIOR. You just don’t WANT to be the “old man of the flesh” anymore.

That’s how the LORD leads you in the paths of righteousness, for His Name’s sake. Oh, and He does it for you, too, because He loves you so much. How do I know He loves you? Because He sent Jesus to die on the cross, to be payment for your sins, so YOU wouldn’t have to die for your sins. After all, God isn’t the God of the dead, He’s the God of the LIVING!

I saved the best for last. The third “witness” is Proverbs 12:28, In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

As it is written in John 5:28, Christ Jesus said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Now THAT, my friend is why you want to be on the paths of righteousness. It is the gift of God that made it possible for YOU to have everlasting life. So if you’re on that path, praise God! But if you’re not? There’s no better time than RIGHT NOW to let the LORD lead you in the paths of righteousness!