I like to read Proverbs. It is full of life lessons and guidance. Many of the passages refer to being “Righteous.” For example,…the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous…the Lord delivers them from their troubles…the righteous will inherit the land….the mouths of the righteous utter wisdom….

So what is meant by “the Righteous?” In worldly terms, righteous means “good conduct” or “virtuous”

However, in the Bible, the apostle Paul clarifies God’s meaning of “righteous” in Romans 1:17 “For in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. As it is written “the righteous will live by faith”. NIV

The answer to the question “What is meant by righteous?” is, We are righteous by faith in Jesus Christ who saved us. Faith is what makes us righteous, not our good behavior or virtue.

Dear Lord, Thank you that we know that we are righteous, right with You, through our faith in Your gift of Salvation. Help us live by faith to do Your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today our first child, which happens to be our youngest child is to be married. For those’s that have experienced this, you know the multitude of thoughts and emotions that go with this.

Praise the Lord that our daughter and her soon husband are faith filled Jesus followers!

They are wonderful examples of Paul’s words in Colossians 3:14, “Above all, these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

How beautiful the words “perfect harmony” are, and how wonderful to know that wrapping ourselves together in love is the key to our relationship, but also the key to our own peace and joy.

Elise and Preston, we love you and pray that you put on love, most importantly for each other, love that will bind you in perfect harmony. May our Lord Jesus make it so. Amen.

Thirty three years ago today my beautiful wife and I were married. It was a wonderful day, and a great party with friends and family. Every day since, we have faced the many joys and adventures of life, and sorrows and struggles together. Our love for each other holds us together, and as 1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love because Christ first loved us.”

I believe that God brought us together, and that our faith has strengthen our love for each other. I also believe our love for each other strengthens our faith. We have been incredibly blessed with wonderful children, loving extended families, many friends and a wonderful Church family. I pray that everyone could have the same.

Solomon wrote in in Proverbs 4:18, “Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.” I am incredibly blessed to have a beautiful, confident, caring, faithful Christian wife!

Happy Anniversary Liz!

Dear Lord, Help us remember that we can love because you first loved us, and this love is what truly holds us together. How thankful and grateful Liz and I are that you have given us each other. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It is hard not to be amazed at some of the new technologies that are being developed in our current world. Some of the capabilities we have developed are almost unbelievable. Some modern technologies that amaze me are, the SpaceX booster rockets that return to earth and land automatically, the ability for surgeons to perform complex surgeries through small incisions and perform heart surgeries through blood vessels, the ability to be on the other side of the world, and look at my phone to see a detailed street map with my precise location identified, and many more.

I also like to put these amazing capabilities in proper context with this text from Paul in Romans 11:33 and 36, “33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!…. 36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever!”

God created all this science for us to discover, and use to His Glory.

Dear Lord, help us remember that, as amazing as the technologies we discover are, we are only using what you have created. Let us be in awe of your majesty and omnipotence and give you the glory for what we learn to do with your creation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Most have heard the account of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32, where the Israelites built a calf made of gold, while Moses was away with God in the mountain. The people became impatient, and created their own God made of gold.

Exodus 32:1-4 says, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

Where would they have obtained the gold? You may recall from Exodus 12:36, “The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!” God provided this wealth (gold) to them through the Egyptians.

There are many parallels we can draw between this account and modern times. Even though we do not call them gods, how different is it for people in today’s world to take the resources God gave them and create their own Gods in the forms of sports cars, homes, boats, sports, or other activities that become the primary object of their attention, time, and money. Rather than thank God for the circumstances that allowed them to have these things, they displace God with the things he provides.

A friend recently described it like this. “Everything we have is either a tool, for God’s will, or an idol.”

Dear Lord, you provide all that we have and these blessings should be reason for us to worship, praise and thank you with our attention, time, and money. Help us recognize the blessings we have that they may reinforce our faith in you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.