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 the Gospel of Jesus Christ who saved us. Faith in this Gospel 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.

Personal development coaches and motivational speakers often will say “Believe you can or believe it cannot, either way you are probably right.” It is an interesting phenomenon that your belief has an effect on the outcome.

The bible describes a similar situation in Matthew 13. Jesus arrives in his hometown, and people question how this son of the local carpenter could be so knowledgable and be able to perform miracles. Rather than opening their hearts and having faith, the people are skeptical and resistant. Verse 58 says, “He (Jesus) did not do many miracles there, because of their lack of faith.” Are we the skeptical and resistant, or do we have the faith and belief that God can and will do miracles in our lives?

Dear Lord, help us with our unbelief and give us faith in your unlimited power to do miracles. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

Defining love is difficult. It is emotion, action, thought, feeling all rolled together and prioritized above everything. True love like that of a parent for a child will stop at nothing to protect and care for the other.

This is what is so powerful about the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 8:38-39. He says, ” for I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So with these words from Paul inspired by God, we can know without doubt that God will stop at nothing to protect and care for us.

Dear Lord, help us truly believe and trust in Your love for us, so that we may do your will with faith and not fear. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Often when people speak about foregiveness, they talk about how we should forgive others, which we should. We also however need to remember that God forgives us when we repent, or apologize for our sins.

Some people have done things they are so ashamed of that they can’t seem to accept the foregiveness God promises. That is a mistake. The devil wants us to feel unforgivable and lead us away from the compassion and forgiveness of God.

Psalm 103:11-12 says. “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” NIV

Everyone can be foregiven. With the ultimate gift of compassion, God sent Jesus to take the punishment for all our sins. Accept this gift, ask for foregiveness, and just as important, accept it.

Lord Jesus we cannot begin to understand the depth of Your love. Help us accept Your forgiveness and move forward living our lives for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you have ever studied strategy, you may have come across a few key concepts. SunTsu an ancient chinese military leader wrote the Art of War, that the outcome of  a battle is determined before it begins.  Other modern military leaders have discussed that “overwhelming force” is the only way to approach going into battle.

We must look at our daily battles in the same way. Our “overwhelming force” against the temptations of the devil is our faith in God. Paul writes in Ephesians 6. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”NIV

The devils temptations can be more than we can handle on our own, particularly the terrible temptations of addictions and psychological problems, but with faith in our Lord’s mighty power we have the overwhelming force on our side.

Dear Lord, we cannot begin to understand how powerful you are. Please help us have the faith to know that with Your help we can overcome anything. In Jesus’ name. Amen