I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10
Israel gets a lot of speculation, a lot of ridicule from a lot of people. The truth we wander from, when we put down Israel, is that this was God’s chosen people, his royal priesthood, his anointed nation. To use them as a stepping stone to elevate our holiness status is like trying to build our own Tower of Babel.
We might not always use Israel as our prime example of the manifestation of sin, but mentally we might compare ourselves to other people and other moms, declaring ourselves holier, more capable, more put together, or more qualified than thou. At times, I fall prey in this way. Sadly, it’s true. It’s more of a subconscious narrative than a blaring siren, but it’s there all the same. And then there are other times that I ridicule myself to an extent that is unjustified and unhelpful to the situation, because it does match the way God sees me as his holy, beloved, royal priesthood- Christ’s bride.
We need to judge ourselves and others fairly, because we will be measured with the same scales that we use to measure (Matthew 7:2).
The Good News is that Christ came to give us a clean slate. His love covers us and does not condemn. It elevates us once and for all, for one reason alone: grace. Grace received through faith (A.K.A. Salvation.)
This is the Truth that comforts, carries, and steadies the waves of lies that tend to get tossed around in our minds. The truth is, God loves us, sin and all. He loved the Israelites in this same powerful way, so much to make a way through the avenue of Jesus Christ.
Praise the Lord for his tender mercies. Praise Jesus for his insurmountable love. Praise God for his undaunted, unwavering, unbreakable grace. Praise the Godhead for sending its unwarranted yet so needed, shunned still eternal, despised now seated at the right hand of the Father, only begotten son.
The Holy Presence of Jesus in our lives is such a sweet, strengthening sound that can straighten our thoughts to align with God’s Truth spoken over our lives. Amazing grace... Let’s rely on this truth to fortify our minds and refocus our thoughts about sin and righteousness.
May we always fall back on the fact that “Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe.” May we empty ourselves of our pride and be uplifted by Christ’s love as his holy, anointed nation. May we lay down our lives and rely on Jesus’ righteous scales to decipher what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise in our hearts and lives, each day.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for your amazing grace that laces over my life. It is such a sweet, strengthening sound to my soul. Help my thoughts align with yours in regards to sin and righteousness. Thank you Jesus for paying the price for my sin. All to you I owe. In Jesus’ glorious name, amen.
Steps of Faith:
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:2
Let’s try to be faithful and graceful in the way we think about ourselves and others, uplifting Christ in our thoughts today!
Comments