Prov 8:8 [ESV] All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.

 

I remember one day when I was at the side of my bed in prayer. I was on my knees and praying, not necessarily making that great a job of it – as I struggled sometimes with praying. I found that for me my best times of prayer were when I forgot I was praying, and I was just honestly telling God where I was at, and thanking him for his incredible patience with me. On this occasion, that’s was what was starting to happen.

After blurting out everything I could remember that I had done wrong that day and asking for forgiveness and wisdom, I sat for a while in silence and solitude, just waiting.

I got lost in the moment and I experienced a strong sense that I was actually sitting at the foot of the cross, looking up at Jesus’ dirty and bloody feet. I felt an overwhelming sadness, and sorrow for the condition of my heart, and in that holy moment I handed over some attitudes and habits been holding onto for a long time. And it was not that difficult. His presence and his love had made a way. I would no longer be the same when I stood up.

And that for me began my understanding of “progressive sanctification” where God works in us to bring us closer and closer to himself.

 

KNOWLEDGE – being in a position where our life as it stands is fully acceptable to God, is something that is well beyond our human abilities and understanding. How could I on my own strength live even for a few seconds in perfection – thoughts perfect, omission perfect and commission perfect? No. I need help.

Enter Jesus. He lived as God on earth and as human on earth. Bringing the imperfect into communion with the perfect. And he was in all ways perfect – as human and as God. Then he freely chooses to pay the full price from my imperfections (sin) – my fallen nature is exposed. Even although he himself was “righteous” with God.

So he allows himself to be whipped, scourged, beaten, publicly humiliated and then tortured to a slow death on the cross – to pay the price that I should have had to pay for my sin.

So now God sees me through the death of Jesus his only son – and sees that the debt is fully paid – my responsibility now is whether or not I choose to accept Jesus as my saviour and Lord. I can refuse him and consign myself to pay the penalty myself for my sin – or I can accept him and he will then be my advocate when I appear before God. I decide my eternal future.

 

 

UNDERSTANDING

Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?

The word used for ‘righteous” in the verse is pronounced as “sedeq” in Hebrew, and it carries the meaning of righteorsness, justice, rightness, acting according to God’s standards, doing what is right, and being in the right.

In the LXX the word used is δικαιοσύνης [dikaiosunes] and this word appears in the New Testament ninety two times as δικαιοσύνη [dikaiosune] and is translated as “Righteousness” every time – a position where someone is acceptable to God.

 

 

 

 

WISDOM 

What decisions am I facing right now where I should take time to think over God’s ways first?

 

STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Deliberative as a Gallup Strength takes serious and significant care in all decisions and choices, it can easily see the pitfalls and blockages. Just don’t take too long every time over every decision.

 

 

Allan’s Unauthorised Version – Everything that I say in my speech and my testimony is in line with God’s own standards of doing and being right; there is no struggle or shrewdness or perversity or warping.

 

All the words – everything that I say

of my mouth – in my speech and testimony

are righteous – is in line with God’s own standards of doing and being right

there is nothing twisted – there is no struggle or shrewdness

or crooked in them – or perversity or warping 

 

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to aim for my words to align with your words because my heart is aligned with your heart.

 

To chat to me as a professional coach/mentor – allan@theallankey.com

 

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