I LOVE RIGHTEOUSNESS

Part 4

"I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation" (Psalm 40:10).

David, the Psalmist reminds us that we must not hide righteousness in our heart. Righteousness is not static but an attribute that moves and flows through our being.  Let's look at more ways it works out in our lives.

Righteousness is associated with Thankfulness

Psalm 140:13 says, "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name." The spirit of righteousness exudes thankfulness. It is a spontaneous overflowing of praise to God, in the good times and in the bad. It also shows gratefulness to others. It is the opposite of grumbling and complaining.

Instead of grumbling about your circumstances, thank God that He is in control and will never leave you or forsake you. Instead of Instead of complaining about your husband, appreciate him. If he takes out the garbage, thank him. If he doesn't, praise the Lord anyway. If he helps you with the dishes, thank him. If he doesn't, be grateful for him anyway. Thank him for working hard to provide for you. Thank him for choosing you to be his wife. Thank your children when they help you. Forget thinking you are righteous if you have a complaining spirit.

Righteousness is associated with walking in Light

Psalm 37:6 says, "He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light." See also Psalm 37:6; Proverbs 13:9; Micah 7:9b; Matthew 5:14-16; 13:43; 2 Corinthians 3:18 and 4:6. When we walk in righteousness, we walk in the light. We are transparent before God and before one another. The woman who walks in righteousness in her home has an open face, shining the light of the glory of God before her family. The righteous woman is the opposite of the one who thinks she is "righteous" but looks as though she has been baptized in lemon juice instead!

Righteousness is associated with Persecution

We should not think we are out of the will of God because we are going through hard times. This is part of life. In fact, if we are not suffering because of our witness for Christ, we should check out whether we are really walking in righteousness. Righteousness is opposite to spirit of the world and we can expect reaction and persecution.

Psalm 34:17 and 19 say, "The righteous cry, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.... Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all." Don't despair; even in persecution, God is with you. Be encouraged by the following  wonderful promises:

Proverbs 11:8, "The righteous is delivered out of trouble."

Matthew 5:10, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

2 Timothy 2:12, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him."

1 Peter 3:14, "If ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye." If we suffer for our own stupid mistakes and wrong decisions we must bear the consequences, but if we suffer for righteousness, we can rejoice! See also 1 Peter 4:12-14. We won't be surprised because we understand that righteousness is associated with persecution.

Righteousness is associated with Posterity

God has promised that the children and grandchildren of the righteous will be blessed. Whether we walk in righteousness, or in unrighteousness will determine the outcome of our posterity. What a responsibility for parents. Our descendants will be affected by the decisions we make today. Read Psalm 37:25-26, 29; 103:17; 106:30-31 and Proverbs 11:21b.

God's plan is for us to build godly generations that will continue following the Lord. The opposite is happening in the church today with so many  Christian couples separating and divorcing. They are so concerned about their own pleasures and desires that they do not take time to think of their children and  grandchildren. Their selfish motives override the negative impact their decision will have on posterity. The course of their future generations will be changed forever.

Every Friday evening at our dinner table, Colin reads Proverbs 31 and then blesses and praises me. I then read Psalm 112 and bless him by acknowledging lovely things that I can share about him. It is such a wonderful tradition that blesses our marriage. Psalm 112:1-3 say, "Blessed is the man that fears the Lord, that delights greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth and riches shall be in his house; and his righteousness endures forever." I often comment that our children and grandchildren are blessed because my husband walks in righteousness.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

 

PRAYER:

"Oh Father, I don't want to hide your righteousness. I thank you that your righteousness is associated with joy and thankfulness. Save me from walking around looking as though I am baptized in lemon juice. Instead, please help me to walk in a spirit of gratefulness. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I am walking in righteousness to bless my future descendants.

 

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