Expect to Rise Again

Daily Devotional

Proverbs 24:15-16 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. 

Being knocked down occasionally is part of being a righteous person, but whenever that happens, you can expect to get back up. It is that understanding that Solomon sought to communicate in Proverbs 24:15-16. In doing so he addressed his message to the wicked when he said “lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:”  What he was telling the wicked was do not bother to waste your time coming for the righteous or attempting to take from them what is rightfully theirs. The reason any such attempt would be pointless was because, even if the righteous falls multiple times, they are going to get back on their feet. This was what he was suggesting when he said “for a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again”. Because the righteous will always get back up, the efforts of the wicked will result in their frustration and demise.

There are countless examples in the Bible where the righteous seemed down and out but in the end they got back to the top.  In Esther 3, all the Jews in Shushan were scheduled for execution on the 13th day of the twelfth month, but instead of them dying, it was their enemies who died on the same day. They got back up after being put down. Job too fell down when he lost all that he had and his body was filled with sores, but he never stayed down; he bounced back when God gave him double what he had before.

The reason  the righteous will always bounce back is because a righteous man is one who does what the word of God says. By operating in this way, God will fight for you and bring to pass every word that He has spoken over your life and there is nothing the enemy can do about it.

Life Application: When you fall, like Job, maintain your integrity, it is your righteousness that will be the driving force behind you getting back up. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your grace and mercy that are new every morning. Lord, I will not wallow in self pity or stay in my mess if I fall, but I will instead rise and take my place in you. Direct me to you when I fall. In Jesus’ name, amen.