Day 210, Year 1

All-round Righteousness Brings Blessings

“Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.” (Proverbs 10:6 NKJV)

If we love life and want to enjoy God’s blessings, we must then refrain from the wickedness of the tongue. I suggest that we adjust our mechanisms of overall response to evil following God’s Word. Today’s verse says that the mouth of the wicked is full of violence, for the mouth speaks out of the heart. This shows that there is something wrong with the heart of the wretch. Contrarily, a godly, righteous heart is the key for us to acquire His blessings.

The first half of the verse says, “Blessings are on the head of the righteous.” The word “blessing,” berakah in Hebrew, also means “prosperity, (source of) blessing, praise of God, a gift, or treaty of peace.” The word “righteous” in Hebrew is tsaddiq, which here also means “just, righteous (in conduct and character, as justified and vindicated by God), right, correct, or lawful.” The Hebrew word for “head” is ro’sh, which also means “top, upper part, front, beginning, or chief.” Thus, the pursuit of becoming righteous in God’s eyes so as to be prosperous and praise Him is our priority. All of those who sincerely believe in Jesus will receive His righteousness and become righteous through His salvation. When our minds gradually become righteous according to His teachings, the grace from God will lead us to the right start in doing things and making decisions. Thus, we need to pray for God’s blessings at the beginning of our work so that we can continually receive His grace, gifts, and prosperity with our gratitude and praise to Him. This demonstrates how we, God’s righteous people, can transition from a cycle of sin to a virtuous cycle through faith in God, and lead those around us into this virtuous and blessed cycle.

On the contrary, the wicked, especially those who had known God but abandoned Him, tend to rob or oppress others for their own benefit, as they do not receive His blessings. For there was a time when they had received gifts from God, but they lost His grace due to their disobedience. As a result, many of them go astray to rob others in pursuit of happiness. This kind of mentality is actually the same as that of the devil’s. Violence comes in various forms. Today’s verse speaks of verbal violence, where words are used to oppress others. More on this will be on tomorrow. Anyway, God is to transform us from evil and foolishness to His wisdom and righteousness, so that we can receive His blessings forever.

Reflection questions:

1) Have you entered the virtuous and blessed cycle mentioned in today’s devotional, receiving God’s grace and gifts through faith in Jesus, prospering and praising God, and even channeling His blessings to those people around you?

2) Has anyone ever robbed you of your happiness with their oppressive tongues? If so, how do you respond to them from now on?