Whoever pursues righteousness and love
Proverbs 21:21 - A long look at a short verse that reminds us that living a Christian life following God’s teachings has eternal rewards.
“Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.”
Proverbs 21:21 NIV
A quick note before today’s devotional: Welcome to all of the new readers of Heaven On Wheels! We’d like to let the newbies know that we are not professional theologians or ordained ministers — we love studying God’s word and writing about it in an effort to build clarity and understanding. Barb does deep dives into books of the Bible (currently Acts), while I let God direct me to random verses throughout Scripture. If you find these devotionals to be helpful in getting to know God more closely, please share them with friends! Thank you.
The Book of Proverbs can be a real challenge when writing devotionals, mainly because each verse is usually a short “standalone” that contains a nugget of wisdom, and it is sometimes difficult to find a lot to write about! Today’s 10-word proverb is an example of the opposite situation — it’s short, but I found that there’s a wealth of wisdom in it.
The verse begins by stating who will benefit from the wisdom in this proverb, “Whoever pursues righteousness and love”. The Bible is filled with references to pursuing both righteousness (acting in an upright, moral, and virtuous way) and loving devotion, as these attributes are commonly found in a life dedicated to God’s love and meeting His standards for living. In the Old Testament, righteousness referred to living in accordance with Mosaic Law.
Loving devotion (Ancient Hebrew חֶסֶד or cheçed) has a number of meanings: steadfast love, kindness to others, and loyalty. חֶסֶד was often used to describe God’s love for His people as part of His covenant with them.
Pursuing these two goals isn’t something that a person can do without a lot of commitment and active engagement. Earlier in Proverbs (Proverbs 2:4-5 to be exact - “and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”), that same sort of commitment to seeking wisdom results in a reward of knowing and respecting God.
Jesus called his followers to pursue love and righteousness. In Matthew 6:33 (“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”), these virtues are shown to be the way to enter the Kingdom of God.
What are the rewards of pursuing righteousness and love? “Life, prosperity, and honor.” Let’s look at each of these separately.
Life means more than just our physical life, as it also contains spiritual and eternal aspects. Choosing these lives involves loving and obeying God, and results in peace, personal fulfillment, and an intimate knowledge of God. The opposite path — wickedness — leads to death (Proverbs 14:12 - “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”
Prosperity. Don’t confuse this with the “prosperity gospel” spread by some evil preachers that wrongly says that faith, positive thinking, and donations to their ministry will bless you with wealth and good health. The NIV translation of the Bible that I tend to use puts the word “prosperity” between life and honor in this Proverb, but most other translations use the word “righteousness” or “bounty” in its place.
The Ancient Hebrew word used for “prosperity” is צְדָקָה (ṣᵊḏāqâ) which is more properly translated as righteousness, but can also mean rectitude, justice, or virtue. In terms of this verse, the meaning leans more toward “a righteous life filled with morality, justice, and virtue”.
Honor. Biblically, honor is bestowed both by God and by others upon a righteous person. It involves being respected, having a good reputation, and remaining dignified in all dealings with others. In Proverbs, honor is seen as a reward for being humble and God-fearing. Pursuing righteousness and loving devotion leads to honor, as it is an outcome of living in alignment with God’s will. Jesus said it best in Matthew 23:12: “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
That’s a long look at a short verse that reminds us that living a Christian life following God’s teachings has eternal rewards.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Lord, I thank You for the wisdom to be found in Your Word through the Book of Proverbs. I pray that this wisdom may find a home in my heart, and that I may emulate Jesus by always pursuing righteousness and love. In His name I pray, AMEN.