Tag Archives: righteousness

October 5

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Mark 3:1-19; Matthew 12:9-21, 4:23-50; Luke 6:6-16

I am so glad God inspired Matthew to record Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. There is something for us in every sentence. Do you want to be blessed by God? Jesus tells us how.

Be humble, meek, merciful, hunger for righteousness. Be a peacemaker. And rejoice when you are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. God blesses his children with all we need… comfort, mercy, eternal life.

Jesus tells us we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Do you realize your value? As God’s children we have the privilege of representing him and pointing lost souls to the Savior. Nothing is more important in this life time. And nothing more precious to our Lord.

Although Jesus was very careful to hide his true identity to the masses, he began to explain his ministry here in Matthew 5:17-20. God gave the law to Moses centuries before and Jesus wants us to know that law is still in effect. The bar was set and remains too high for us to reach. Holiness is still God’s standard and his demand. But Jesus explains that it is his job to fulfill all the requirements of the law for you and me.

You see, he can reach the bar!

And what he is going to do will enable us to stand before God with a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees. We will be able to wear Jesus’ righteousness.

Dear one, as we read Jesus’ words, know that they were said with you in mind. Let Jesus speak to you as we revisit the Sermon on the Mount. Let him share his heart with each of us. And may we be encouraged in our walk with the Savior.

March 16

Deuteronomy 9-11

Ok I get it. Three times in 9:4-6 Moses tells Israel that it’s not because of their righteousness or integrity that they were going to live in Canaan. In fact Moses calls them stiff-necked people and reminds them of the many times they’ve disobeyed God… to the point God was ready to destroy them.

God had made a promise to Abraham and he was going to honor that promise. The Jews were going into Canaan but it wasn’t about them. It was about God.

It is always about God.

We were created by God for God. We are created to love and worship Him. Sometimes I think we get caught up in what God can do for us. The forgiveness, the peace, the joy are all amazing blessings that come from walking with God and obeying Him. But when we walk with God we are simply doing what we were created to do.

The Jews were going into Canaan to live in houses they didn’t build and eat food they didn’t plant. But it wasn’t because they were good enough.

God is telling us to put on righteousness we didn’t earn, but not because we are good enough, either. It’s His righteousness so that we can fellowship with Him.

I find it amazing and humbling that the God of creation wants to fellowship with me. It’s not because I’m a good person or go to church every Sunday or read my Bible. I am a sinner who has accepted His forgiveness. I stand before Him wearing His righteousness because I have none of my own.

Because of Him I am able to be the person I was created to be.

January 14

Job 32-34

Once again I am struck by the length to which God goes to redeem a lost soul. Job 33:14 says God does speak “now one way, now another though man may not perceive it.” Elihu goes on to say God might speak in dreams, whisper in our ears, or through hardships and illnesses. He goes on to say if there was a mediator to find a ransom, we would be restored by God to righteousness.

The beautiful thing about this is we know that mediator’s name. Jesus is alive and eager to do His work in our lives. Elihu reminds us that God doesn’t give us just one chance to go to Him. 33:29 says God does all these things to a man… twice, even three times… to turn back his soul from the pit, that the light of life may shine on him.

I imagine most of us can remember times and situations in our lives when we were drawn to the Savior. Something we heard, or read, or experienced brought God to our minds. Times when we recognized a longing for more than this life offers.

The more we ignore that prompting from the Holy Spirit the easier it gets to ignore Him and the harder it becomes to even recognize God’s voice. God wants us to love Him, to receive Him and experience sins forgiven. There will be times today when He tries to get our attention. My prayer is that we will be sensitive to His voice and allow God to restore us to righteousness.