Seven times

Proverbs 24:16, “For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.” I read once that righteousness is not achieving perfection but making steady progress. It is a continuous journey of aligning ourselves with God’s standards. The difference between a righteous and unrighteous man is not whether they fall or not but rather what they do when they fall. When our trust is in God and we depend on Him throughout our life, we may stumble or fall, but we don’t stay down. God gives us strength to dust ourselves off and rise again. When we veer off the path of righteousness, we need to recognize our wrong and seek God’s forgiveness. Psalm 32:5 says, “I acknowledge my sin to Thee. And my iniquity I did not hide I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.” The path of righteousness is to acknowledge our need for God’s direction. I am reminded of what Jesus said in Luke 18:9, “and He also told this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and viewed others with contempt.” The parable was about how the Pharisee prayed and how the tax-gather prayed. The Pharisee prayed to himself to God that he was thankful he wasn’t like the sinners, declaring to God his righteousness. The tax-gatherer however recognized his need for God and cried out for God to have mercy on him. Jesus said, “I tell you; this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humble himself shall be exalted.” This is why when a righteous man falls seven times he rises again. He calls out to God and knows his help comes from God.