Proverbs 2:20-21

So follow the steps of the good, and stay on the paths of the righteous. For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.

Do you like where you live? Are you happy with the neighborhood? Your house? Your yard? Do you like your neighbors? Is it a good location? Funny thing about where we live…almost all of us chose to live there…and we chose that location/neighborhood/house based on certain conditions. So it is with the life we are living today.

Whenever Scripture speaks of “the land” in this manner it is referring to the Land of Canaan…the Promised Land…the Land of God’s Favor…and eventually, the New Heavens and the New Earth. And while we may make fun of some preacher promising us our “best life now”, there is certainly a reason to long for all that God has for us in our present circumstances, be them relatively easy or quite difficult.

If you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you certainly don’t need to worry about your eternal security (John 10:28-29). But, if you want to remain in the more temporal land of His promises and blessings and protection, you need to be striving to live a life of godliness and integrity.

Are you one way at church or in your small group yet another way at work or when you are alone? Are you seeking holiness when you aren’t in church or within eyesight of another Christian, or only when a fellow Believer might be watching?

None of us get this right all of the time, but we must be willing to ask:  Is the general direction of my life moving towards Christlikeness, or am I stumbling and backsliding and returning to the vomit of my sinful past? These decisions will determine whether you are living in the land God has for you…or in a neighborhood that is far less desirable.