Casandra Martin

Psalm 119:137-144

“Do the right thing!” Lately, it seems that this insistent message is bombarding us. Everyone from insurance agencies, politicians, car salesman, athletes, special interest groups, and celebrities are standing up to promote their idea of the right thing. The problem is which right thing is the right right thing? We listen to all the messages. They are jumbled at best, and contradictory most of the time. One person’s right thing encourages us to invest ourselves in pleasure, independence, and financial security. Another promotes a specific political objective. There are two sides to a moral argument, and both claim to be the right side. Today, what is deemed to be right is most often defined by media attention, political correctness, and a desire for the comfortable. It makes figuring out which way is right very confusing.

Righteousness, doing the right thing, is the focus of the eighteenth stanza of Psalm 119. The writer reminds us that if we want to know what is right, we have to know the One who is righteous. God is righteous. He always does the right thing. No matter what, no matter the circumstance, no matter the sacrifice, no matter the timing. Because God is righteous, His Word is a guidebook that shows us the right way to live. God’s right way doesn’t change with the seasons, the political climate, economic advantage, or the circumstances. Right is right, and God calls us to be people who walk rightly before Him.

“Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules.” – Psalm 119:137

My Jesus Resolution today is to do the right thing. Before I can do the right thing, I have to know the right thing to do. Knowing the right thing to do means standing in the presence of the only One who is right, and allowing myself to be examined and guided by His righteousness. God’s Word will always show me the right way, teach me the right answers, reveal the right path, and transform me into the right person.