The Land of Uprightness

“Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.” Psalm 143:10

What if God were pleased with everything that you did? In Psalm 143, David asks God to teach him how to do His will. David recognized that God is good and desired for his own character to be good as well. He asked the Lord to lead him into the “land of uprightness.” This land of uprightness is not a physical location or an imaginary place. David is referring to a way of living or a level of godly character that can only be obtained by submitting ourselves to God’s will. Paul talked about walking in the spirit in Galatians 5. He said that when we walk in the spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. David had a great desire to live this kind of life. In the course of a basketball game, one player may have a stretch of several minutes where it seems that he can do no wrong. He makes every shot he attempts and he manages to stop his opponents each time on defense. We sometimes refer to that player as being “in the zone” during that time. Everything is going right. No player experiences such success by accident. These impressive performances are the result of years of consistent practice and an investment of a great deal of effort and intensity each time he steps on the court. A similar passion and focus is required in the life of a Christian who wants to please the Lord with his life. If we are going to walk in the spirit, if we are going to live in the “land of uprightness,” if we are going to be “in the zone” as a Christian; we are going to have to cultivate a desire to know the Word of God and to do His will.