righteousness

February 2 – Every Day Counts

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“Repent, forgive, and believe… quickly.” I heard a man make this statement many years ago, and I still remember it.

It seems that those three commands can be easily bypassed in our day-to-day lives. Noah was a beautiful example of a person who took the directions of God and ran with them. We’re not sure exactly how many years passed from the time he built the ark and the time the flood came.

At the very most, around 100 years passed by. And yet, we see no record of the wickedness on the earth turning around for the better. Many years went by and no one was moved to follow Noah’s example of righteousness.

I believe that our physical, mental, and spiritual health all hinge on these commands. Repent, forgive, and believe, quickly. In the six hundredth year, second month, and seventeenth day of Noah’s life, the curtains of water fell.

And time ran out. God was speaking through Noah and his actions all of those many years. We are again in the “days of Noah.” Regardless of the moment of Jesus’ return to earth, our world is filled with signs that point to His coming.

Just like the days before the floodwaters came, it can be easy to ignore the landmarks all around us. God is gracious and full of mercy as we turn to Him and hand over the reins of our life. Let us follow in the footsteps of Noah, and may we let others know that every day counts.

Jen 🙂

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month—on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7:11, 12

Biblical Meditation: Matthew 24:36-39 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

December 12 – How Bad Do You Want It?

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He who earnestly seeks after and craves righteousness, mercy, and loving-kindness will find life in addition to righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) and honor. Proverbs 21:24

A hunting buddy of mine gets a deer almost every year. I, on the other hand, am not so “blessed.” It’s not fair. He just seems to get all the breaks. (Whine!)

I mean, just because he starts putting out feeders full of corn well before the season hits. And puts up cameras to monitor the migration and feeding times of the deer. And takes special care to cover his scent. And puts up strategic hunting blinds and tree stands. And gets up at the crack of dawn during the season and goes back often in the mid-afternoon. Surely all this has no bearing on how successful he is at harvesting those deer.

I, on the other hand, at this present time, am guilty of doing none of those things. I just sit out under a cedar tree, by a lonely little pond and wait…sometimes. Why in the world am I not getting my deer?!

The truth of the matter is I don’t want one bad enough. My buddy figured it out, if he was going to be successful at hunting deer, there were several things he would have to do to secure his desired result.

And it’s the same way with God Stuff! If I want to know His will for my life, or want to see His Plans succeed in my life, I have to spent time with Him earnestly.

God’s blessings are abundant, like grape clusters on a vine.  And far too many of the blessings with our names all over them are rotting on that vine. We have to do the picking and the prepping or the value is lost.

No finger-pointing allowed, just one would-be hunter to another. If we want it, and it’s beneficial, chances are, with a concerted and consistent effort, it will become a reality.

October 14 – And the Walls Came a Tumblin’ Down

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Riches provide no security in any day of wrath and judgment, but righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God) delivers from death. Proverbs 11:4

What American could ever forget the horrible moments of September 11th? Those moments changed a nation and the world forever. I was in my office, sorting through the work for the day when the office assistant called me into the meeting room.

Some things were changed forever.

But one of the most obvious devastations went unnoticed, for the most part, in all the chaos, catastrophe, and confusion. What happened to world trade that day? How much of the financial wherewithal of the nations of the world were obliterated that day? Who knows what all went into keeping economies going on the surface with borrowed money and bailouts while financial ruin was hidden at the core.

Our modern day sophisticated fiscal maneuvers make it hard to see the cracks in a compromised wall of security. Therefore, being prepared when it crumbles is next to impossible.

That is why our ability to get wealth, manage wealth, or keep wealth is not a high priority where God is concerned. It is far too unpredictable and awfully subject to heart corruption. Not because possessions in and of themselves are bad, but because our hearts have a tendency to trust in the seen much more than the unseen.

Righteousness levels the playing field. There is nothing in the world I can do to earn my “right standing” with God. It is the by-product of His grace, His mercy and His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, it makes no difference if fanatics decide to hijack a plane and slam it into the side of a building that represents the “wealth walls” of every nation and worldwide economics crumble to pieces. If your hope is anchored in God Almighty, the place you are standing will not be shaken.

October 9 – So Afraid

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The thing a wicked man fears shall come upon him, but the desire of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall be granted.  Proverbs 10:24 AMP

Have you ever hid in the closet? I have.  Growing up, there were nights when my mother had to “pull a double.”  She would call my sister and I and tell us she was going to work through the night and be home in the early morning, before we left for school.  Our community was pretty close-knit, and everyone knew Mom was a hardworking nurse raising two growing kids.  I was eight or nine years old at the time, and I tried to be tough and not cry about it.  But as the night wore on, if there was any noise coming from outside, wind, sirens, dogs barking, I bolted to the closet.  However, when the morning light shone in, and mom was safely home, boy, was I brave! There wasn’t a trace of the trepidation that sent me cowering to the closet the night before.

Fear is a funny sort of emotion.  When the pressure is on, it hides.  But when the sun is shining, it reeks of pride.  That’s when I hear the loud and proud and the rich and famous boasting about rights, and my heart aches.  I don’t see the agenda they so adamantly promote.  I see a scared little “Lorenzo” shaking in the wee hours of the night, hoping and praying everything will somehow be alright.

Oh, I am not any man’s judge. There’s nothing to judge, love covers the most fearful of us all.  But my prayer today, in light of our Proverb, is one of clarity.  Fear has a way of distorting the truth.  When I heard the wind when I was “alone,” I heard something totally different than when my mom was home.  As a matter of fact, the only time I remember hearing the windows rattle was in Mom’s absence.  To me, that’s the best description of wickedness . . . the truth twisted or distorted by fear.  And I cannot count the times when in a state of fear, that which I feared had a life-long effect on me.  But righteousness, on the other hand, requires no explanation.   When mom was constantly present, I slept well.  If I did wake up, it was rare, because things were “right.”

Right now, the earth is full of a bunch of us kids who have spent way too much time being afraid in the closet. We desperately need to know God is home and everything is going to be alright.  Because as long as fear reigns in our hearts, sweet rest is only a fantasy.

Lorenzo