Today’s devotional proverb draws a contrast between two spiritual natures. There is no spiritual “gray area” in this proverb—you are either one or the other. You are upright before a Holy, Omniscient God or numbered among the transgressors. Note with me the lesson Solomon taught his son in Proverbs 11:3.

Proverbs 11:3 – “The integrity [innocence] of the upright [righteous; just] shall guide them but the perverseness [distortion; crooked way] of transgressors [deceitful] shall destroy them.”

You never have to wonder the way a good, honest, upright man will choose when he comes to a moral crossroads—that decision was made long before he came face-to-face with a moral dilemma. The Integrity of an upright man is as predictable as “due North” on a compass. Like a pilot trusts his instruments when flying in the dark, the upright man’s confidence is in God’s Word. The Bible is the spiritual GPS of the upright.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Contrasted with the sure and straight way of the upright are the twists and turns of the transgressor. He follows the urges and inclinations of his sinful heart and emotions. Unlike “due North” on a compass, his “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). He is given to whims and his path is one of self-destruction (11:3).

My friend, what about you? What is the moral guide of your life? Are you an upright man? Can you be trusted to do the right thing? Who is determining “due North” when you make decisions that have the potential of impacting not only your life, but also the lives of your loved ones?

I challenge you to choose the path of the upright; his moral compass is the Word of God.

Psalm 119:104-106 – “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. ¹⁰⁵ Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. ¹⁰⁶ I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.”