Proverbs 14

There are just a few sayings directly related to righteousness here:

• The wicked will bow down at the gates of the righteous (v19)
• Even in death the righteous seek refuge in God (v32)
• Righteousness exalts a nation (v34)

It can seem that righteousness does not pay, that it is the wicked and selfish who prosper. Indeed the Psalmists and some of the prophets bemoaned this fact. However, the end result is that the wicked will bow down to the righteous.

The mark of a righteous person is that they do not exalt themselves, but know their true relationship to God. So even in death they put their trust in God. And in death He is the only one who can see us safely through it.

A nation is exalted by righteousness. In the West our societies are doing their best to break every one of God's laws, in so doing we are heaping up condemnation upon ourselves.

Verse 2 shows the importance of fearing the Lord. When we reject the Lord we become our own judge, we become proud, and we become devious. We need an outside authority, something beyond ourselves, to keep us on a straight track.

Verse 10 says that each heart knows it owns bitterness and its own joy. We need to understand that no one else, not even a wife or husband, will fully appreciate both the pain and the joy that we experience in life. So instead of reacting with bitterness when we find that others do not fully understand us, we should be grateful for the degree of understanding that we do find.

Verse 21 ties in nicely with Jesus' parable of the good Samaritan, in response to the question "who is my neighbour". Our neighbour is anyone who is needy whom we encounter.

Never let envy take a hold of your life, for it will only bring decay to your life (v30).