Righteousness

Readings for today: Isaiah 31-35

One of the misconceptions I run into a lot is how too many people equate “righteousness” with “restrictions.” They see God’s plan as the quickest way to suck all the fun out of life. They perceive God to be a cosmic kill-joy. They believe the old canard that God sits on His throne and spends His days devising all kinds of ways to squash everyone’s joy. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Listen to how the prophet Isaiah describes the impact of righteousness on a nation. Isaiah 32:1-2 CSB, “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.” That sounds pretty good, right? Especially if you are living in the desert regions of the Middle East? Keep reading. Isaiah 32:17–18 CSB, “And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” Again, doesn’t that sound wonderful? Isn’t that what we all hope for in our lives? Peace? Quietness? Trust forever? Don’t you want to dwell in a peaceful habitation? Safe and secure? I was in northern Ethiopia a few months back where they are recovering from a civil war and I can tell you things like safety and security and peace are at the top of their list. Let me give you one more. Isaiah 33:5-6 CSB, “The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. There will be times of security for you - a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.” What a beautiful picture of what God has in store for those who will fear Him, those who will follow Him, those who will worship Him. He is the source of all righteousness and justice in the world. And if one wants to experience the blessings of righteousness, one must seek to dwell in God’s presence for they are a byproduct of a life-giving relationship with Him.

So, have you changed your mind about righteousness? Do you find yourself longing for the more righteous life? Do you want the blessings of righteousness in your own life or community or nation? Don’t fall for the enemy’s lies. Don’t believe his falsehoods. Don’t let him deceive you. Your Heavenly Father knows what’s best for you. Your Heavenly Father loves you. Your Heavenly Father has good gifts He wants to give you. Trust Him. Believe Him. Submit to Him. Follow Him. Let justice flow into your life and righteousness be an ever-running stream in your soul.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 36-37, 2 Kings 18:9-19:37, 2 Chronicles 32:1-23, Psalms 76

Peace

Readings for today: Isaiah 9-12

One of my spiritual disciplines is to stay up with the news. I make sure to read sources from across the political spectrum. I try my best to discern truth which is not always easy because humanity seems literally hardwired for conflict and hatred and even violence. It is so hard to land on an accepted set of facts that everyone can agree on. If facts are inconvenient or don’t support the narrative we want, we tend to dismiss them. If facts support our pre-determined position or ideology then we cling to them with all our might. One could argue that it doesn’t matter. People have a right to believe what they believe. However, in the real world, this attitude doesn’t fly because while I may have a right to my opinion, I don’t have a right to my own facts. Real decisions are made that have real world consequences and people are often hurt. For example, I was recently talking with an immigration official about the conflict that exists between immigration policy in our state and immigration policy at the federal level. That conflict puts state and federal officials at odds with one another and what ends up happening is the immigrant is caught in the crosshairs. That’s just one example among many I could cite. Taken to an extreme, this can lead to violence. The kind of violence I often see when I travel to other countries around the world.

Thankfully, God has a different vision for the world. One He casts in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Isaiah. “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fattened calf will be together, and a child will lead them. The cow and the bear will graze, their young ones will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like cattle. An infant will play beside the cobra’s pit, and a toddler will put his hand into a snake’s den. They will not harm or destroy each other on my entire holy mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the sea is filled with water.” (Isaiah 11:6-9 CSB) When the Messiah comes in all His power and glory, the world will finally know reconciliation. The world will finally know peace. True shalom. The end of all division and violence and hatred and enmity.

How do we know this to be true? Because of what God did on the cross. There He tore down every dividing wall of hostility that exists between us and He gave us His Spirit to bring unity. The church is therefore called to live in such a way that we give the world a picture of what life will one day look like in the Kingdom of God. Imagine the power of the witness we could have if God’s people would embrace Isaiah’s vision? Imagine a church unified across political, ethnic, tribal, economic, generational, and theological divisions? Imagine a church that took seriously the commands from Psalm 133 and John 17? Imagine a church that chose God’s Truth over particular political, social, or even theological truth? It’s actually not all that hard to imagine if we take seriously the call to have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus and seek to follow the example He lays down in Philippians 2:5-11.

Readings for tomorrow: Micah 1-4

Peace

Readings for today: Psalms 15, 23-25, 47

I am a “one” on the Enneagram. A perfectionist whose primal fears are corruption, deceit, imbalance, and immorality. These fears lead to stress which creates anxiety. When I am anxious, I tend to be resentful, even angry. My buttons get pushed and I literally can feel my blood begin to boil inside. In the face of these feelings, my temptation is to deny them. Play the hypocrite. Not acknowledge my anger because it is not morally good and therefore must be rejected. This results in continual self-recrimination. The critical voices in my head rise to a cacophony of shame and condemnation as I fail to live up to my own high ideals. It’s frankly exhausting. 

“God, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list? Walk straight, act right, tell the truth.” (Psalms‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“Who can climb Mount God? Who can scale the holy north-face? Only the clean-handed, only the pure-hearted; Men who won’t cheat, women who won’t seduce.” (‭Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble; Don’t let me down when I run to you. Use all your skill to put me together; I wait to see your finished product.” (Psalms‬ ‭25‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

This stuff is music to my ears. It speaks my love language. Goodness. Righteousness. Moral uprightness. Holy perfection. All good things. All important things. And yet, none of these things actually lead me to health. They do not assuage my anxiety. They only serve to feed my fears. They throw me back on my own strength. My own effort. Which I already know is never enough. So what’s a “one” on the Enneagram to do? Continue playing the hypocrite? Continue pretending he or she has it all together? Continue presenting an image to the world that is good and upright and moral and perfect? 

By no means! The “one” must instead cling to message of Psalm 23. One of my favorites, by the way.  “God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.” (Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Peace comes as I trust in the Lord. Serenity comes as my soul rests in Him. All my stress. All my anxieties. All my fears fade away when I let the Lord be my shepherd. He takes care of all my wants. He makes me lie down and rest in green pastures, beside still waters. These words are balm to my soul. 

This morning when I woke, I found my heart reset to its default position. (This happens pretty much every morning by the way!) As soon as I opened my eyes, the voices in my head start clamoring for attention. “Get up! You have so much to do! So much to accomplish! You’re already behind! You’re already letting people down! You’re already failing!” As I said above, my temptation is to argue. To fight. To try to silence those voices through my own Herculean efforts. But God charts a different path for me. The path of grace. And His Words became my words as I pray, “My head is high, God, held high; I’m looking to you, God; No hangdog skulking for me…He gives the rejects his hand, And leads them step-by-step. From now on every road you travel Will take you to God… Follow the Covenant signs; Read the charted directions…God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones he confides in…Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble; Don’t let me down when I run to you.” (Psalms‬ ‭25‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭9‬-‭10‬, ‭14‬, ‭20‬ ‭MSG‬‬) As God’s voice fills my head and heart, I find the other voices retreating into the background. Yes, they are still there but it’s more of a murmur than a roar and I can now go about my day filled with God’s peace. 

How does God speak to you? To your basic fears? Primal drives? Baseline desires? How does He lead you to health and wholeness and healing and peace?  

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 89, 96, 100-101, 107