For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness, His countenance beholds the upright. (Psalm 11:7—NIV)

This psalm is designed to give courage and a renewed call to integrity for every saint. David is answering those fearfully counseling caution as the watchword of the day. There are real enemies who shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. These are they whom God opposes and will vanquish.

The root concept of the word “upright” is straight and level. It is a word which is well paired with “righteous” and “righteousness” both bespeaking the unswerving commitment of God to that which is just, true, and untainted with sin.

Verse three poses a fascinating question of legacy: if the foundations are destroyed, what has the righteous one accomplished? The work of righteousness is a worthy cause for hazarding oneself.

By the middle of the psalm David reminds us that the Lord seeks out the righteous. We know that God’s gaze searches out men and He beholds those who are walking in uprightness.

Our verse teaches us three things about God: His nature, His passion, and His nurture. He is by nature righteous. All He is is in perfect conformity to righteousness. His acts and deeds have always been fully in harmony with His attribute of righteousness.

It follows that He will passionately approve all which is in conformity to His nature of righteousness. All righteous acts and deeds done from a pure heart of righteousness will certainly catch His attention and win

The final thought of David is that the face of God beholds the upright and in the Hebrew language there is the subtle thought that the upright shall also see His face. The countenance of God here demonstrates three nurturing and comforting thoughts to the believer. God’s presence promises deliverance from adversity, enables close communion with Him, and enforces the reminder for believers of the reality of His presence in the life of the upright.

How should your life change today if you constantly remind yourself of the presence of God?