“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:3
It took me a long time to embrace the fact that Jesus is my righteousness. I knew that when I got saved that Jesus washed away my sin and that I was a new creature in Christ. What I didn’t understand is the distinction between my spirit man being saved yet with my soul still in need of transformation. Some things left me immediately, like suddenly, cursing was no longer a part of my vocabulary! But other things, like controlling my anger, bad habits like smoking (I smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 10 years!) and other things that needed to be changed in me were a process. So internally, I struggled. I was saved, but there were (are…) still things in my behavior and character that weren’t consistent with who I knew I was and how I knew I should behave.
When we’re out of balance like this, our human nature kicks in to compensate and we begin a cycle that God never intended for us to practice or live. The first thing we find ourselves doing is trying to balance the scale with good deeds. We see this in Matthew Chapter 23 when Jesus describes the excessive things the Pharisees did to prove their righteousness. They presented themselves as holy and righteous in their dress and public prayers, gave generously to the poor and tithed not just monetarily but even on their harvest of spices and herbs. By outward appearances they would be hard to beat but Jesus was not impressed. Their righteousness was as “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) and yet He said that our righteousness would have to exceed theirs just to enter in to heaven… (Matthew 5:20)
Another way we try to balance the scale is by comparing our righteousness and good deeds to the works and walk of others. This is self-righteousness and I’ve found that for the most part, it’s not whether or not you are self-righteous, but rather to what degree are you self-righteous…? It’s easy to identify self-righteousness in others. Those are the people that always have to be right, they brag about what they do or would or would not do, they’re holier-than-thou, can do no wrong and outwardly, judge, scrutinize and criticize everyone else. But inwardly, to some degree, we all compare ourselves to others when we fall short (e.g., “Well, at least I don’t…”). It helps us feel better about ourselves and eases the guilt and shame of our shortcomings.
The truth is, we will never truly appreciate the precious gift of Righteousness given to us through salvation until we stop comparing ourselves to others and start comparing ourselves to Christ… He is the only standard by which we can judge our righteousness and we will fall short every time! That realization produces the humility that draws us near to His heart. Only in comparing ourselves to the Righteous standard of Christ can we rightfully assess where we are and where we need Him to help us grow. We can always find someone that we’re “better than” in a particular area, but justification never initiates transformation!
When we allow the honest self-reflection that can only come from comparing our lives and our behavior to Christ, we go from trying to “be right” to simply wanting to “do right”. We no longer have to “be right” because He is our Righteousness! In spite of ourselves, He has imparted a precious gift that cannot be attained by obedience to any law or by any deeds of our own and cannot be appreciateduntil we learn to judge ourselves by His righteous standard. Let us release the urge to “be right” and pray for the grace to “do right”.
“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6
We are like beautiful yachts on the sea with the freedom and the ability to go wherever we choose. We can set our own course, travel at our own speed. Dock at the port of our choosing. We can load up provisions to sustain us. We can bring whomever we choose and we can do whatever we want on it or in it. Of course, we must follow the man-made rules of the sea and waters that we navigate but other than that we have tremendous autonomy and independence. We are our own man or woman. We are masters of our own destiny!
But we are greatly deceived, or worse yet, a fool, if we lack a reverent respect for the waters on which we sail. They keep us afloat. They enable us to go to and fro but they also have the ability to consume us, to destroy us, to detain us and to derail us from our destiny…
When we fire up the engine and set sail we feel that we are Captain of the sea! But it is merely an illusion. We have neither tamed nor conquered the sea. She has simply been gracious enough to allow us to ride on her back as a wild beast humbles himself for a time to allow us to do the same. We may only tame a horse willing to be broken and without his willingness he cannot be ridden. And thus it is so with the sea as well. When calm and undisturbed, we are enabled to do all that we please. We sail ungrateful for her yielding and without thought of her destructive power. We feel safe, confident and joyfully optimistic…
Ah, but what of when she no longer wishes to yield? And what of the wind that rouses her rage and stirs a tempest that roils beneath? What of currents and undertows? What of waves above and rocks below? The sea can certainly disturb our peace when she ceases to yield, when she ceases to subdue her might and power. Then suddenly we become aware that we are not in control, but the sea – and she was all along… Suddenly, we are aware of her awesomeness, of her strength, of her power. Suddenly, we are in awe, full of reverence and fear. Suddenly, we are humbled, begging for her mercy, fully aware of our frailties. Aware of the inadequacies of our equipment, tools and provisions. Aware of the short-comings of our education, experience, gifting and intelligence. Aware of the uselessness of our might as well as the might of our horsepower because no matter how great, they are insufficient to out power her in her strength. All that we have, all that we once boasted of, we now see is of no use against her power. We are humbled and though once chomping at the bit to be let loose to sail free, we now find ourselves longing for the safety of being tethered to the dock… Now, as she pushes us effortlessly, tosses us to and fro, rocks us with such force that we might capsize and slams us with unleashed rage against the tumultuous sea, we begin to see that it is only in her mercy that we may be spared shipwreck, being grounded on a sandbar, ripped to shreds by her rage, sunken underneath her power or lost at sea and left to drift in the wilderness, parched and withered, hungry and thirsty, scorched by the salt and sun. Abandoned and left to die a slow and painful death…
As the storms at sea give the sailor reverence and respect for the water, so should the storms of life give us reverence and respect for the God of the Universe. The Maker of the Heavens above and the earth below. He spoke into existence the sun and sea and every living creature within it. He spoke the word and all things were created through Him, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (John 1:1-5). He is the Living Water! Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, Jesus is truly Lord of all! He is the sea on which we journey! He is the wind behind the canvass of our sails! And He is the anchor of our soul! (Hebrews 6:19) Only He can calm the raging sea and quiet the tempestuous storms of life! But He made us free will beings. So after the storm, by our will we can return to navigating our own ship or learn from the realities that the storm brought us to and allow Him to navigate us through still waters and set sail to see “great and mighty things we do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3). The storms of life should be treasured for drawing us near to God and they should leave us with a new reality about life and living, “for in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) The storms of life should bring a new realization of our frailties, of the uselessness of earthly treasures, of the value of life and of the sovereignty of the Lord. In Psalm 119:17 David said, “Our suffering was good for us for it taught us to pay attention to Your decrees.”
May the storms, afflictions, suffering and trials of life leave you with a never-ending, deep and abiding reverence for His awesome power and a heart full of gratitude for His mercy and unending love!
Imagine a contest that would grant you an all expense paid trip to every major city in the world… All you have to do is collect one million bottle caps and be ready to leave on the date the ship sails. Imagine being packed, ready to go and collecting the last few bottle caps in the terminal on your way to the dock… Then getting turned away because you forgot your passport! The agony, the disappointment and the realization that all of your work has been in vain would be enough to send many people over the edge! Now imagine that same scenario being played out for eternity with the loss of your very soul! (“For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?” Matt 16:26) Salvation is our passport to Heaven! Good deeds can’t get us in. Going to church can’t get us in. Our own righteousness can’t get us in. Only the blood of Jesus can get you into Heaven! Jesus’ Blood is enough! But then we must to do our part – stay on the narrow path (Matt 7:13-14) and endure to the end! (Matt 10:22). The Apostle Paul himself said “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor 9:27). Disqualified? My works not remembered? (Ezek 33:13) My name blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life? (Rev 3:5) Rejected at the gate of Heaven? (Matt 7:21-23) No wonder Paul said that we should work out our own salvation with fear and trembling! (Phil 2:12) “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Rev 3:11) We must do a personal inventory day-by-day and never think that we are too strong to fall. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12). If the path is narrow then we should take heed to stay on it! Otherwise our labor, whether it be a million souls or a million hours of community service or a million dollars to charity will be as worthless as those million bottle caps – and no passport! Fight the good fight of faith! Kimberly
Scripture of the Day – “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.” 2 Corinthians 13:5
Not long ago I encouraged someone with the words, “God be with you!” Then a still small voice corrected me, “God IS with you…” Wow! The truth is, God is ALWAYS with us. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” God is Omnipresent, that means He is everywhere, always present. And He has always made provision to dwell with us. In the Old Testament He dwelled with His people and His presence resided deep within the Tabernacle of Moses, in the Holy of Holies, behind the veil, between the cherubim on top of the mercy-seat. Then He walked with us in the form of a man named Jesus, our Savior, the Christ, the Anointed One. And when He left, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell IN us. We are truly never alone. The challenge is to remember and be aware every day, every hour, every minute, that He IS with us. Jesus, walking beside me and the Power of the Holy Spirit dwelling IN me. The challenge is to practice His presence. To train our mind and heart to recognize and depend of the help of the Lord in even the smallest things that we do all day, throughout the day. No doubt such a practice would yield amazing results! And indeed it has (you would be blessed to read the writings of Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach in Practicing His Presence). That is what Jesus did. It is a challenge to follow! There are so many distractions, but to sense His presence – even in the midst of conversation and daily activities is where we should strive to be. So often we set aside time in the morning to commune with God, and then leave Him in the prayer closet until the next morning! Of course we didn’t really leave him there, we just didn’t acknowledge the fact that He left the closet with us! And therein lies the problem. For God is with us, but how much we depend on Him throughout the day will determine whether or not He is for us! I need God for me! Because, if God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). Remember that God IS with us! Just listen for His voice and follow His direction. He’ll never leave or forsake you! (Deut 31:6-8; Heb 13:5) You can stake your life on it! Be encouraged. Kimberly
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deut 31:6
Today’s Reading: 1 Chronicles 2; Psalm 1; Matthew 2-3
I’ve been in some deep “valleys” that looked impossible to get out of. I’ve been knocked down so hard that it seemed I would never get up. And I’ve been crushed to a point that looked beyond repair… But I held onto my faith. I had faith that God would deliver me; restore me; and sustain me in the valley. I learned a lot in the valley, but most importantly, I learned to guard my strength. Here’s a quick rule of thumb: the bigger your outer circle grows, the smaller your inner circle must shrink. That was a hard lesson to learn for someone who once hated to be alone. But I found that in order to keep my faith strong, I had to limit who I shared my dreams, goals and desires with – because people will crush them. They don’t do it intentionally or maliciously, but they willdo it. They’ll zap your strength and kill your hope. They do it with advice and opinions. They do it with “what if” scenarios. They do it by playing “devil’s advocate” and injecting their fears into your dreams… Jesus knew this well. “Who touched Me?” Are the words He asked when the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of His garment. The scriptures says, “Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” (Luke 8:40-48) Jesus guarded His strength. He didn’t avoid the crowds nor did he refuse to allow His power to go out from Him, but He was fully aware of when it was expended, and where it was expended. That’s why He permitted no one to go into the house where the girl had just died except Peter, James and John and the girl’s parents. The scripture says that He put everyone else outside (Luke 8:49-56). He knew they would crush the spirit of faith. Peter followed in His footsteps by putting everyone out before He prayed for Dorcas to be brought back to life (Acts 9:40-41). So the question today is simple: Who is in your inner circle? Faith builders…or fault finders? To walk in the faith to fulfill your destiny you just might need to shut some people out… Be encouraged. Kimberly
Scripture of the Day – “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24
When my daughter was a little girl I refused to allow her to say “I can’t”. It was like a bad word to her. “What did you say?” I would ask, and she would immediately fix it and say, “I need help!” Then I’d smile approvingly and say, “That’s right Sweetheart, what can I help you with?” I wanted to teach her that there was nothing that she could not do – though she might need a little help. As it turned out, her “monumental” problems (tying her shoes, reaching something too high, opening something too tight, solving a math problem, etc.) were never anything I could not fix. As she matured I taught her to trust in the Lord who gave me the strength and wisdom she had come so appreciative of since I wouldn’t always be there for her, but He is with her wherever she goes! Our problems change as we grow, but we will always find ourselves in a place where we need help. When we rely on our own strength and wisdom we will always come up short. Simon was faced with this reality in Luke 5:4-5. Jesus told him “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing…” He didn’t know that Help was there with him. But out of submission he said, “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” The scripture says that when they did this they caught so many fish that the net was breaking. They had to signal their partners to come and help them and filled two boats with the catch! Simon, James and John forsook all and followed Him from that point forward. But Moses in Exodus 33:13-15 had come to an even deeper revelation than the disciples had at that point. He knew well of God’s help. The Lord had performed mighty miracles at His hand. But in time, it wasn’t the miracles and the help that he desired, it was His Presence! “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” In other words he was saying, “Lord, I would rather stay in the desertwith You, than go into the PromiseLandwithout You”.You will never fully experience His Presence until you become dependant on His help! Stop saying what you can’t do. We have a Helper. Call on Him and you will receive help from on high and the joy and peace of His presence. Be encouraged. Kimberly
Scripture of the Day – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Few of us would willingly leave the comforts of home to dwell in the wilderness. By definition, the wilderness is “a wild and uncultivated region, as of forest or desert, uninhabited or inhabited only by wild animals; a tract of wasteland” (Random House), but that’s exactly where God sent the children of Israel – to the desert, the wilderness. They learned to worship the Lord there. They learned His laws and they learned to trust Him. But the first generation murmured and complained and ended up wandering in circles, never seeing the Promise Land. Everyone must spend time in the wilderness before God can use you. It is a time of obscurity and reflection. A time of scarcity and frugality. A time where God may provide for you physically, emotionally or financially one-day-at-a-time like manna from heaven. It is a time of learning and growth. It is a time of testing and temptation. But it is also just before your breakthrough! Deuteronomy 8:1-20 explains why we need the wilderness experience, it’s “to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Just be encouraged – the promise land is at the end of the wilderness! John the Baptist was in the deserts “until the time of his manifestation” to Israel (Luke 1:80). In that time it says that he grew and became strong in the spirit. But then Luke 3:2 says “the word of God came to John in the wilderness”. He emerged preaching a baptism of repentance that would define his ministry and his life. Jesus went into obscurity from age 12-30 and the Word says that in that time he increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52). Then he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness but the scripture says that “He returned in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14) and His ministry launched with power, authority and great acclaim. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in prison (Jer. 33:1) and “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, one of the greatest novels and Christian allegories of all time came to John Bunyon while he was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. If you learn to value your wilderness experience God will make waters burst forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert (Isaiah 35:6-7). Jesus learned this so well that the scripture says, “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16) and John the Baptist, well, he just decided to live there… (Mark 1:2-6) Rest in the wilderness. God is faithful to provide. And listen to the still small voice – He’s got “a word” for you – even in the wilderness! Be encouraged! Kimberly
Scripture of the Day – ” The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing…They shall see the glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God.” Isaiah 35:1-2
People have fears for everything under the sun – spiders, snakes, heights, closed spaces, evil spirits, success, failure and even other people (what they think or what they might do). The list is endless, but we have it all backwards. We need not fear any of these things when we serve the Lord, we only need to fear the Lord. I don’t hear people talk much about the fear of the Lord. People talk a lot about thelove of God. And that’s a good thing. The love of God is awesome. That’s what draws us to Him. But the fear of the Lord is what will keep you from sinning! Fear of His wrath and eternal judgment will cause you to cry out for His grace to keep you on the narrow path. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111:10; Prov 1:7; 9:10). Moses’ father-in-law offered this wisdom for selecting leaders to help him: he suggested four criteria Moses should look for – “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness” (Exod 18:21). Why did he suggest men that fear God? Because a person that fears God can be trusted. He is less likely to steal, cheat, rebel or sleep on the job in your absence as the servant in the parable in Mark 13:34-36. A person that fears God has come to the realization that David confessed in Psalm 51:4 – “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight.” They will instinctively do right by you for fear of angering the Lord. They have an understanding of the grave consequences of being separated from God’s love – perhaps for eternity! But just as there are consequences of not fearingHim, there are rewards for those who do fear Him. Psalm 34:4 says when we fear Him, He will deliver us from all our other fears! He will hear your prayers and deliver you from all your troubles and you will be in want of nothing! Don’t fear man – what can he do to you? Matthew 28:10 says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” God gives us the choice of being His friend or His enemy… God is a man of war. He destroys His enemies… Fear Him! And be encouraged. Kimberly
Scripture of the Day – “Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him” Psalm 34:9
For a long time I would read about the children of Israel and think, “You just couldn’t please those guys!” I mean think about it, God delivered them from slavery, parted the Red Sea for them and destroyed their enemies, then they wake up the next day and say, “We don’t have any food! I wish we were back in Egypt where we had meat and bread and ate until we were full!” (Exod 16:2-3) They must have coined the phrase, “What have you done for me lately?” But as I matured in the Lord, I began to see that I was no different. The Lord has parted a few Red Seas of my own and I have seen my enemies fall, but I often have to repent for not staying ever mindfulof all that He’s done for me! He drove them to the desert, the wilderness, and sustained them with manna to teach them to be grateful for the things God did for them each day. He wouldn’t allow the manna to last for more than a day to teach them to trust God. He drove Abraham to the wilderness for the same reason. He drove Jesus to the wilderness for the same reason. Jesus sent His disciples out two by two and told them to take nothing with them, for the same reason (Matt 10:9-10). And at some point in our walk with Him, we too will be driven to the wilderness where we must learn to trust Him day-by-day. To walk by faith. And to be grateful just for our daily bread! I had a wilderness experience. The Lord sustained me for an entire year on just my book sales. Fifteen dollars a book. One day at a time, one book at a time – and I lost nothing! Not my house. Not my car. My lights and water were never turned off. I learned to trust Him like never before and to appreciate Him for the simple things in life: Kind people. Sunshine. Opening my eyes in the morning… He is Faithful! If you’re in a “wilderness season” in your life, trust Him and be encouraged. The Lord will perfect that which concerns you – one day at a time! God bless you! Kimberly
Scripture of the Day: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him. On those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” Psalm 33:20-22
Today’s Reading: Feb 5 – Exod 15-16, Ps 33, Mark 12
The Bible says that the children of Israel left Egypt “with boldness”. But Pharoah’s heart had already hardened again. He was already in pursuit of them, but they were unaware of it at the time (Exod 14:1-8). The same is true when we turn from our wicked ways, get delivered from an addiction or decide to finally heed the call of God on our lives. We start with boldness, but our adversary the devil will not let you off so easily… He will pursue you with a vengeance and use every tactic to steal your victory, kill your dreams and destroy your witness! Pharoah and his army pursued them with all their might – with an army of horsemen and chariots. As they drew near, the Bible says, “the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid…” Their fear turned to remorse and they grumbled at Moses proclaiming that “it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than die in the wilderness.” In modern-day terms, that’s the same thing we hear when people get touched by the Lord but at the first sign of opposition go back to their addiction, abusive relationship or the “friends” that sent them on the path to destruction! But Moses offered this wisdom- “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!” (14:11-13). Stand still. That’s the wisdom Saul failed to heed from Samuel that cost him the kingdom. (1 Sam 9:27; 12:7). It’s the same wisdom Moses offered two men in the camp on a matter they needed counsel on (Numb 9:8). It’s the same wisdom Jehoshaphat told the people right before a great battle that the Lord fought victoriously for them in 2 Chron 20:17. It’s the same wisdom the Lord gave Job in the midst of his trials (Job 37:14). And it’s the best wisdom I can offer you today. Stand firm. And stand still. He will deliver! Be encouraged! Kimberly
Scripture of the Day – “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Kimberly D. Williamson
Bible in a Year 