Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s mentally tired, having just finished my tax accounting. Hallelujah! Yes, I know it’s late and all that, but that’s how the life played out; procrastination and contrived busyness. (smile) And then I didn’t have anything to write on, so I appealed to the Most High and He led me to the passage on righteousness. Now since He led me there, I guess, rather hope, NO! I know, I have the utmost faith that He will guide my pen and cause me to write sense, uplifting sense that is. He’s been doing it all along, no reason for Him to stop now. And the best way to begin anything is with a common definition. Now the dictionary defines ‘righteous’ as being just, upright, virtuous, and law-abiding. Oh my Friends, doesn’t that sound like a perfect definition of us believers! It should be what we aspire to, and what others see in us, since it’s what Jesus desires in His followers; a sense of righteousness, works that uplift, virtue, law keeping, justice and simple decency. What did He say about it in the Beatitudes? ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Mat. 5:6)What a wonderful promise! Those of us who recognize our paucity or lack of righteousness, and knowing that we badly need it, then genuinely seek after it, shall be filled to overflowing with it by Almighty God. That’s just His way; anything in His good books that we sincerely desire and seek after, He usually grants us. And the Psalmist attests to that. ‘He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:9) So my people, now that we have a basic definition of ‘righteousness’, let’s turn to the Bit. It declares, ‘the work of righteousness shall be peace.’ Oh isn’t that ever a great declaration! If we work righteously, then peace shall be the blessing that’s bestowed on us. Isaiah agrees, and explains: In the Lord’s day, ‘He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.’ (Isa.2:4) Glory Hallelujah! But why do we have to wit till the Lord’s day my people? Who knows when that will be? Why can’t we begin transforming all those swords and spears, melting all those guns and other weapons RIGHT NOW eh? But judging from all the strife, hate, anger, oppression etc. that’s plaguing and dehumanizing our world, not too many, surely not enough people are hungering and thirsting after righteousness. The Psalmist says; ‘Great peace have they which LOVE thy law: and nothing shall offend them.’ (Ps.119:165) But if we use that as a measuring rod, then obviously, today there aren’t too many, or again, not sufficient people who LOVE the Lord’s law, cause these days we’re all so easily offended, and finding true peace is probably like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. Our world is so strife and violence torn that it might be easier to count the theatres of war than those of peace. I recently read that there are over two hundred places of violent dissension on our planet. That sure is a lot, which means my people, if we want to live in peace, then as followers of Christ, it’s out job to try and turn this violence around, try and get our fellow man to hunger and thirst for the righteous way that only comes from Jehovah God. Then the bit talks about the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.’ Wow! There we have the answer to all our personal problems my Friends! The effect, result, consequences of righteousness is a reduction in tension; a soothing, calm, tranquil nature, being free from disturbances, not anxious or remorseful. The important thing though people, is that we must first bring righteousness to our individual lives before we can spread it around. For as James says; ‘And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.’ (James 3:18) That’s an undisputable fact Friends! It’s only by promoting peace that righteousness is born. And Bruh Paul weighs in thus: ‘For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.’ (Rom.14:17 -18) Yuh see mih people, when we live righteously we’re acceptable to both God and man. What more can we ask eh? Not much. Now hear Sol’s take on the matter. ‘In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.’ (Prov.12:28) That’s for sure! Righteousness brings peace, contentment, joy and favour with God through salvation; so our lives on earth will be peaceful and contented, then blessed spiritually, forever after with Christ. It’s the best gig going my Friends, so I implore us to gladly accept it. Let us genuinely seek after righteousness nuh, so that even if we don’t have peace in our time, the future generations will have a better chance to do so. As Bruh Paul exhorts us: ‘Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.’ (Rom.14:19) Oh Friends, I certainly hope this edifies us. Much LOVE!...the best legacy we can leave our children…one of righteousness…
Oh Friends, the ole fella’s mentally tired, having just finished my tax accounting. Hallelujah! Yes, I know it’s late and all that, but that’s how the life played out; procrastination and contrived busyness. (smile) And then I didn’t have anything to write on, so I appealed to the Most High and He led me to the passage on righteousness. Now since He led me there, I guess, rather hope, NO! I know, I have the utmost faith that He will guide my pen and cause me to write sense, uplifting sense that is. He’s been doing it all along, no reason for Him to stop now. And the best way to begin anything is with a common definition. Now the dictionary defines ‘righteous’ as being just, upright, virtuous, and law-abiding. Oh my Friends, doesn’t that sound like a perfect definition of us believers! It should be what we aspire to, and what others see in us, since it’s what Jesus desires in His followers; a sense of righteousness, works that uplift, virtue, law keeping, justice and simple decency. What did He say about it in the Beatitudes? ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ (Mat. 5:6)What a wonderful promise! Those of us who recognize our paucity or lack of righteousness, and knowing that we badly need it, then genuinely seek after it, shall be filled to overflowing with it by Almighty God. That’s just His way; anything in His good books that we sincerely desire and seek after, He usually grants us. And the Psalmist attests to that. ‘He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.’ (Ps. 107:9) So my people, now that we have a basic definition of ‘righteousness’, let’s turn to the Bit. It declares, ‘the work of righteousness shall be peace.’ Oh isn’t that ever a great declaration! If we work righteously, then peace shall be the blessing that’s bestowed on us. Isaiah agrees, and explains: In the Lord’s day, ‘He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.’ (Isa.2:4) Glory Hallelujah! But why do we have to wit till the Lord’s day my people? Who knows when that will be? Why can’t we begin transforming all those swords and spears, melting all those guns and other weapons RIGHT NOW eh? But judging from all the strife, hate, anger, oppression etc. that’s plaguing and dehumanizing our world, not too many, surely not enough people are hungering and thirsting after righteousness. The Psalmist says; ‘Great peace have they which LOVE thy law: and nothing shall offend them.’ (Ps.119:165) But if we use that as a measuring rod, then obviously, today there aren’t too many, or again, not sufficient people who LOVE the Lord’s law, cause these days we’re all so easily offended, and finding true peace is probably like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. Our world is so strife and violence torn that it might be easier to count the theatres of war than those of peace. I recently read that there are over two hundred places of violent dissension on our planet. That sure is a lot, which means my people, if we want to live in peace, then as followers of Christ, it’s out job to try and turn this violence around, try and get our fellow man to hunger and thirst for the righteous way that only comes from Jehovah God. Then the bit talks about the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.’ Wow! There we have the answer to all our personal problems my Friends! The effect, result, consequences of righteousness is a reduction in tension; a soothing, calm, tranquil nature, being free from disturbances, not anxious or remorseful. The important thing though people, is that we must first bring righteousness to our individual lives before we can spread it around. For as James says; ‘And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.’ (James 3:18) That’s an undisputable fact Friends! It’s only by promoting peace that righteousness is born. And Bruh Paul weighs in thus: ‘For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.’ (Rom.14:17 -18) Yuh see mih people, when we live righteously we’re acceptable to both God and man. What more can we ask eh? Not much. Now hear Sol’s take on the matter. ‘In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.’ (Prov.12:28) That’s for sure! Righteousness brings peace, contentment, joy and favour with God through salvation; so our lives on earth will be peaceful and contented, then blessed spiritually, forever after with Christ. It’s the best gig going my Friends, so I implore us to gladly accept it. Let us genuinely seek after righteousness nuh, so that even if we don’t have peace in our time, the future generations will have a better chance to do so. As Bruh Paul exhorts us: ‘Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.’ (Rom.14:19) Oh Friends, I certainly hope this edifies us. Much LOVE!...the best legacy we can leave our children…one of righteousness…
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