Psalm 125:4 “Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.”
Those “that be good” and “are upright in their hearts”, will say with Paul, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not” (Romans 7:18). No one can “be good” or “upright in their hearts” unless they are “born of the Spirit” (John 3:1-8). One of the first things that a “born again” Child of God immediately knows is that “in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing”! There are two senses in which one can “be good” and “upright in their hearts”. The first is to have been made so before God the Father by Divine Choice (Ephesians 1:4) and the sacrificial death of our Savior (II Corinthians 5:21). The second is our behavior; that is, those who have been made “good” before God our Heavenly Father are given the capacity, at Spiritual Birth, to behave in a “good” manner as the Lord has Commanded us in His Holy Word; although we often miss the mark. To be “upright” in “heart” is to focus our minds upon the “good” thoughts, motives, and deeds that our Lord has placed in our hearts and minds. The Psalmist’s prayer is for the “LORD” to “Do good … unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.” The exhortation to us is to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit and strive with all diligence to do “good” and “upright” things. As we strive to subdue our carnal nature and do “good” and “upright” things we can expect the “LORD” to “Do good” unto us. If it is chastening we need we should rejoice, if it is deliverance we need we should joyfully wait in patience, if it is provision we need we should faithfully look for it, if it is wisdom we need we should pray for it and expect it to arrive just in time, etc. Because He is God and we are mere humans, we must know that He always knows what is “good” for us. As far as making it through are tribulations, we know “that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us” (II Corinthians 1:9-10) and “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (I Corinthians 10:13). Our daily prayer should be for wisdom and strength to think and do “good” and “upright” things that our honoring and pleasing to our gracious and merciful Lord!