Day 19, Year 1 One Characteristic of Righteousness

“He who speaks truth tells what is right, But a false witness, deceit.” (Proverbs 12:17 NASB)

It is mentioned previously that “in the way of righteousness is life” (Proverbs 12:28a). But what is righteousness? Today’s verse underscores an essential characteristic of righteousness in a person—telling the truth. This particularly pertains to the ethical dimension of righteousness and personal traits, and by extension, its implications on interpersonal relationships and various social aspects. In the Bible, righteousness also refers to the way of God’s salvation, which is not primarily an ethical issue in any human life. As mentioned earlier, righteousness has both a divine and a human dimension. It is crucial for us to pay more attention to how we can become more and more righteous, especially as it could draw us closer to God.

Telling the truth—these three simple words might seem easy at first glance. However, it may not be an easy task for every believer. The “truth” in today’s verse, ’emunah in Hebrew, denotes “faithfulness, fidelity, firmness, responsibility, stability, steadfastness, steadiness.” From this definition, we can better understand the relationship between human nature and speaking or telling. When we speak truthfully, our words align with the facts and truth, and we will show ourselves with firmness, trustworthiness, honesty, and fidelity. Now, consider this: Could a person who usually speaks hastily and often tells lies suddenly switch to rendering true testimony when in need? It is quite impossible. Thus, one crucial characteristic of righteousness for us is to consistently speak the truth, affirm the reality, and adhere to the truth. Understanding the “way of righteousness” in this manner requires us to change ourselves to always speak the truth. We who sincerely confess to the Lord Jesus the sins we committed out of ignorance will surely receive His forgiveness. As a result, we would likely eliminate our careless mistakes and wrongdoings one by one.

Today’s verse suggests that there are deceitful people who bear false witnesses. When you hear false testimony, would you choose to expose it? This decision could be challenging at times. Conversely, a person speaking nonsense alone in a room would not be considered giving a false testimony in any way, as no one else hears it, while testimonies are meant to be heard by others. Telling the truth involves exposing falsehoods and might result in serious problems. But when we fail to expose the false testimony of others where feasible, it is to participate in the deceit and unrighteousness of others. Therefore, we need courage and seek God’s help to expose all forms of falsehoods in our lives so as to walk on the path of His righteousness.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you enjoy telling the truth and facts? Why?

2) How do you feel about exposing falsehoods? Are you willing to pay the price of telling the truth? Why?