Psalm 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Do not be mislead to think that the plural paths here means more than one path. There is only one path to righteousness and that is found in faith in Jesus Christ.

The Hebrew words used here translated as plural is because of its origin, referring to wagon wheels. The entrenchment or ruts formed by the use of a road produces two tracks.

Even if you were to see God’s will as being one of three options, good, acceptable, or perfect, you would still be in His will and not opposed to it.

Just because we walk outside God’s will, that still does not change our righteousness. We will lose our peace, have our conscience prick, might even go so far as to receive chastening and correction. That does not mean we have lost our righteousness.

Righteousness is a right standing with God. It is not based on who we are and what we do. It is based on who Christ is and what Christ has done.

Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Also, ruts help keep our wheels on track.