The Upright Walker

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. (‭Psalm‬ ‭84‬:‭11‬ ESV)

Might it bother you to know that God withheld good things from you? When the verse tells us that God is a sun, it is speaking about what God does and not what he is. He is not a burning ball of fire hanging in the sky. He does give light and understanding to those on the earth. He does give warmth and joy to the human heart. He does cause spiritual growth in the lives of his children. He is like the sun, or maybe it is better to say that the sun is like him in those above mentioned ways. God is also a shield. He protects his people. The Lord bestows, or gives favor and honor. And the following sentence makes it plain that favor and honor are actually good things.

Another thing that God does is withhold good things. He withholds his favor, honor, protection, and illumination from those who don’t walk uprightly. The upright walker in this context is used in a moral sense and is speaking about an individual who lives his or her life in a way morally consistent with God’s own nature and character. If you and I don’t walk in a moral and upright way, God may see fit to withhold good things from us. Yet if we do walk in an upright way, no good thing will be withheld from us. It’s quite amazing how much it matters what kind of life you and I are living.