unshakeable | Kristi's Morning Devotional

This morning I’m talking to myself and you can listen in.

Trusting God is not something I do perfectly, that’s why I titled this “learning to trust”. I can go along real well for a long time, trusting God and standing strong on His promises and then – out of the blue, I get some news and my knees go weak, my eyes fill with tears and I find myself asking God why that just happened.

God doesn’t mind me asking why. He’s like any loving Father who when asked an honest question wants to help his children understand and increase in knowledge. He wants me to come to Him when I hurt, there’s no better place to find comfort and help than in His presence.

“Let us go with complete trust to the throne of God. We will receive His loving-kindness and have His loving-favor to help us whenever we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 NLV

I need to put more value and trust in God’s word than I do in anyone else. His Word is the only thing that never changes. I will trust the one who knows the beginning from the end, who knows the number of hairs on my head and sees a sparrow when it falls.

Now I’ll talk to all of us.

Everyone of us have a Bible in our pocket or our purse; its small, round and shiny. We need to take it out and read it – read it several times each day and remind ourselves “In God We Trust”. I think it’s so interesting that those are the words on US currency. Many people put their trust in their financial holdings but I think our nation’s founders wanted us to always remember where we should always put our trust.

“If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things. 33 Who can accuse the people God has chosen? No one! God is the one who makes them right. 34 Who can say that God’s people are guilty? No one! Christ Jesus died for us, but that is not all. He was also raised from death. And now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. 35 Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love? 36 As the Scriptures say,

“For you we are in danger of death all the time.
People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.”

37 But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us. 38-39 Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39 ERV

Thank you Lord for reminding me to trust you. Thank you for giving me comfort and for replacing fear with faith. Thank you for allowing me to help others who are learning to trust You.

Each morning God gives us proof that He can be trusted. The sunrise reveals God’s consistent, actually eternal, promise of provision and care. Since the beginning of time God has faithfully delivered a sunrise to remind us that we have a new opportunity to walk in His love.

“Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” Isaiah 58:8 NLV

The theme or focus of today’s verses seems to be righteousness. Righteousness is an old English, religious word but it can be defined as right standing with God. Do you see yourself as righteous? Ponder that for a moment. If you’ve answered no – then I trust that today’s teaching will open your eyes to the wonderful power of God in your life.

“You are righteous, Lord, and Your judgments are just. ¹³⁸The decrees You issue are righteous and altogether trustworthy. ¹³⁹My anger overwhelms me because my foes forget Your words. ¹⁴⁰Your word is completely pure, and Your servant loves it. ¹⁴¹I am insignificant and despised, but I do not forget Your precepts. ¹⁴²Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your instruction is true. ¹⁴³Trouble and distress have overtaken me, but Your commands are my delight. ¹⁴⁴Your decrees are righteous forever. Give me understanding, and I will live.” Psalm 119:137-144

There’s that word “understand” again. As David grew in the word he grew in understanding. He experienced firsthand the faithfulness of God’s righteousness. He knew that he was in right standing with God because he was devoted to God’s word.

Genesis 15 says that “he (Abraham) believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness”. That’s where righteousness was birthed, in believing God. David followed the example of righteous Abraham and he believed God. If God said it, that was good enough. In Psalm 23, David said that the Lord leads him in paths of righteousness. And he willingly followed His shepherd.

As an old man, David penned in Psalm 37 “I have been young and now I am old; I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging for bread.” In Psalm 112, which I call the righteous man’s Psalm, David describes the life of the man who lives righteous. This is God’s inspired word and so I am willing to live the truth of this Psalm in my life.

“Praise the Lord! How happy is the man who honors the Lord with fear and finds joy in His Law! ²His children will be powerful in the land. Each family who is right will be happy. ³Riches and well-being are in his house. And his right-standing with God will last forever. ⁴Light rises even in darkness for the one who is right. He is kind and has loving-pity and does what is right. ⁵Good will come to the man who is ready to give much, and fair in what he does. ⁶He will never be shaken. The man who is right and good will be remembered forever. ⁷He will not be afraid of bad news. His heart is strong because he trusts in the Lord. ⁸His heart will not be shaken. He will not be afraid and will watch those lose who fight against him. ⁹He has given much to the poor. His right-standing with God lasts forever. His horn will be lifted high in honor. ¹⁰The sinful man will see it and be troubled and angry. He will grind his teeth and waste away. The desire of the sinful will come to nothing.” Psalm 112 NLV

We can’t be “righteous” on our own. It’s just not possible, no matter how hard we try. We are influenced by our prejudice and judge situations from our limited scope of understanding. While God on the other hand sees all things through His eyes of unconditional, unprejudiced love and judges justly in every situation.

“But God has a way to make people right, and it has nothing to do with the law. He has now shown us that new way, which the law and the prophets told us about. ²²God makes people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. He does this for all who believe in Christ. Everyone is the same. ²³All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness. ²⁴They are made right with God by his grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ.” Romans 3:21-24

Some of you may ask why I am spending time on this this morning. Simply put, if you can be convinced you that you aren’t righteous, then it’s easy to steal God’s word and His promises from you because you feel unworthy. I know – been there, done that, hated it! But once the Lord showed me that He considered me righteous, not because of what I had done but because of who I am in Christ, my life of defeated Christianity turned around and I began to face every giant, physical, mental and spiritual, with the same confidence and conviction that David had when he faced Goliath.

Standing complete in my righteousness in Christ turned conflict into conquest, battles into blessings and struggles into success.

So I’ll ask you again – are you righteous? Let me give you this answer. “Christ never sinned but God put our sin on Him. Then we are made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.” II Corinthians 5:21 NLV

Yes, yes you are if you are in Christ!

“Lord, I don’t want to live a defeated life. I want to have the kind of life that is described in Psalm 112. Show me who you made me to be. I want to live to my full potential. You made a way for me to be right with you – I choose Your way. In Jesus name. Amen.”

Tag: unshakeable

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