A Just Man Doesn’t Stay Down

Men’s Monday Minute

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Proverbs 24:16)

As we read this verse it begs the question, what is a just man? A just man is honestly upright and of righteous principles. A just man will keep getting up after he falls is because he has principles that will not allow him to stay down. However, The man who is wicked is the opposite of the just man. He has no principles to guide him back to his feet once he has fallen. Therefore, in contrast to the just man the wicked fall into mischief and their is no mention of their returning to their feet because they lack the necessary principles to regain their footing.

What is it then that we must learn from this verse?

• EVEN JUST MEN FALL

  • I am not stating this to give us an excuse to fall, but rather for those who have fallen and are not sure that they can get up. Falling does not make you a bad person, but you need the resolve to get up and walk again. Such resolve can only come from a honest uprightness and righteousness of principle which is found in the Word of God.

• BECOME A JUST MAN

  • If you are not a just man, now is the time to begin. We have the power to be just by the Holy Spirit living inside of us since the day we got saved. Therefore we need to utilize this power, activating it with the constant reading, study, and application of the Word of God.

• DON’T STAY DOWN WITH THE WICKED

  • There will always be those who try to convince you that being “down” is not such a bad place to be. I urge you not to heed such folly. God did not intend for you to live a life of defeat, but he has empowered you to live a life of victory. The power to win such victories comes from Jesus Christ. We must use the power He has given us, the Word He has given us, and determine not to stay down and wallow in the mischief of the wicked.