Click for audio: The Path of Righteousness
Part 3 of 6
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
The Psalmist continues with the theme of spiritual guidance. The translators of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible change the phrase, paths of righteousness, to right paths, a clarification that should prove helpful in our understanding of the idea contained in this line. In practice the path of righteousness is sometimes converted into an attitude of religious self-righteousness, one that is often condemning of those who hold beliefs that are not compatible with our own. The simple thought that God is leading you in right paths is a powerful, affirmative attitude that allows you to leave others to find the way that is most meaningful to them.
The word sake means for the good, the benefit or the welfare of somebody or something. In addition, Biblical names, particularly in the Old Testament, depicted a characteristic or the nature of a person or place. The phrase, for his name’s sake, can be thought of as meaning, for the benefit of his (God’s) nature. In other words, there is a right path for you, a way through which God seeks expression. In this line you are affirming that God is leading you to your right path, one through which all the divine attributes of peace, health and the abundance of all good shines forth naturally.
In your times of quiet, let go of your grasping for answers. Looking outside of yourself and seeking the resolution to this or that problem is the cause of all tension of your mind, shortness of breath and stress in your body. You are on the right path when you turn to God alone for guidance. You are complying with God’s nature that works from the center to the circumference of your being. You know you are on the right path when you feel the stress of groping for solutions begin to subside and the peace of trust in God rise from your center. Affirm: God’s perfect peace is my right path and I choose this path now. Be still. The peace of stillness is your right path.