Ever had a good fall? I bet you have. With life comes falls. It’s inevitable. Can you recall a big one – either physically, emotionally, vocationally, or spiritually? Did you get up? What got you up?

Proverbs 24 talks about getting up and takes us to a good place. It lifts us by saying that while righteous people are not immune to falling, they get up. Here is how and why. 

RIGHTEOUSNESS gets us up. The adjective “righteous” in the term “righteous man (or woman)” is crucial. By righteousness, I do not mean self-righteousness. That kind of righteousness never lifts for long. 

A righteous man is never one who makes himself righteous. But one made righteous by a Righteous One, even Jesus, gets up. Because Jesus got up, and kept getting up, even beating death, He knows how to get us up too. Hallelujah for that (1 Corinthians 15:57–58)!

HOPE gets us up. The presence of hope always lifts us. There is nothing stronger than hope to lift a soul. 

And may I remind you that hope is not simply a circumstance. It’s a Person. Who you belong to makes all the difference in the world (Psalm 73:26, Romans 15:13). 

God loves to infuse people with hope … in His promises and in His personhood. But He also warns, “For the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out“ (Proverbs 24:20). Without hope, we are inevitably doomed, collapsing from within. 

Remember this progression too:

• Those who have great hope fight hard. 
• Those who have little hope fight a little. 
• And those who have no hope don’t fight at all.

WORD FROM GOD gets us up. He speaks life. The Bible is loaded with God’s promises. Not one has failed. “Arise and go” is a term repeatedly used in Scripture. 

There’s more work to be done. The mission is not over. For “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven“ (Matthew 6:10) requires our participation with God in mission. 

The job’s not over. The kingdom has not been fully reestablished. Let’s get up and keep going with Him!

THE LONG VIEW gets us up. For those who trust and follow Jesus, we know who wins. The worst news is never the last thing. And the biggest blow is never yours to take. It belongs to Satan. His doom is sure. 

Reflect: Is there anything in your life that’s keeping you down more than it should right now? Is it time to get up, believe the truth (not just know it), fill yourself with hope, and press on? Who in your life needs a helping hand up today? 

Would you memorize Psalm 73:26 and Proverbs 24:16 with me?

A prayer to consider:  Heavenly Father, thank You for Your provision of righteousness, hope, precious promises, and a long-view vision for life. Keep getting me up in a world that knocks me down. I would be like Jesus. By the power of Your Spirit living in me, I pray. Amen.