Stand Up to Lay Down

09.03.11

Psalm 111.1 Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. NIV

So says the psalmist. If you’ll pardon me for being a little George Costanza-esque this morning, I’ll ask, what is upright and who are the upright? And why, upright? And if there are upright, then are there bent-overs or lay-downs? Sorry guys, that’s just how my pea-brain works.

The upright are the righteous; they’re the ones who find favor with God because they believe Him, believe in Him, and do what He says. The Biblical antonym of upright is wicked (or evil). The upright are also those who find favor – or at least begrudging respect – from men. But uprightness isn’t just a show, it’s a condition of the heart – it’s a posture of life. It’s the evidence of moral character, a moral compass, and the presence of tangible goodness (not just goody-two-shoes).

In the council of the upright are wisdom, depth, and spiritual substance. The upright take not just a stand but the right stand. The upright won’t lay down their principles and stand firm for the Kingdom to which they belong and for the ultimate Good of mankind which is the King Himself. The upright collectively and individually give God all the credit, knowing they neither deserve it nor have earned it.

From a human perspective – even Pablo’s perspective – the best place to be is in the place of acceptance among those who focus solely and wholly upon the Lord. It is only in that place, the council of the upright and in the assembly (of the upright), that God is God to the good and the good are accepted and counseled by Him.

That’s why choose our friends carefully. We love unconditionally but we fellowship carefully. It’s not exclusivity, for anyone can gain access to the council of the upright – that is a matter of one’s choosing. But for the one whose life is not upright, the council of the upright can be very intimidating and discomforting.

The upright stand up only to lay their lives down before the Lord and upon His altar as living sacrifices giving God full permission to do as He wills with their very lives. There again is the only safe place to be in this forbidding world: laid out before the Lord offering myself for His use.

So, if I have any one goal in my life it’s this: I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. I have little use for the company of the sarcastic and arrogant. I have no use for the one who claims to be wise and yet unzips and exposes his foolishness by forsaking God and the council of the Lord’s humble and lowly upright.

Not trying to be narrow, but realizing that my pool of resources is shrinking as I grow older and I need to make the most of my relationships as I use those resources in representing the Lord of lords and the King of kings. The council of the upright know that the Only Answer to this world’s issues is only found in the presence of the One who will bring all of this current chaos into glorious redemption on the Day of Christ. I want to invest what's left of my life in that!