Job 35:6-8 If you sin, how does that affect him [God]?    If your sins are many, what does that do to him [God] ? 7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him [God] ,    or what does he [God] receive from your hand? 8 Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,    and your righteousness only other people. Have you thought about how your sin affects God?  On some level, I know that God doesn't like it when I sin. It is abhorrent, a slap-in-the-face to God. I hadn't thought about it to understand that the reason God doesn't want me to sin is for me and other people, not for God.  God doesn't need me.  God's plan will be made complete with or without me because God has no needs, certainly none that people can meet.  But God cares about me and about you. That's why he doesn't want me to sin. God knows the ramification of my sin. He knows how I will feel when I sin. The shame. The embarrassment. The physical...

Psalm 85:13 Righteousness goes before him        and prepares the way for his steps. Righteousness is doing the right thing, at the right time.  Not after you've had time to evaluate the situation and then determine that it is ok to do the right thing. Righteousness is just doing what is right for the sake of doing right, regardless of the consequences. Going the extra mile, because it is the right thing to do. This verse in Psalm tells us that when we do right, when we practice righteousness, we are preparing the way for his steps. I know that if you think about this you can come up with some examples where you've seen this in action.  I just never stopped to think that I was preparing the way for HIS steps.  Righteousness does lead to clearing a path to someone's heart.  When we act righteously we knock down doors and walls of stubbornness, rigid minds of steel that don't allow for the unexplained, peace entering chaos, just from...

by Deanna Etienne - used by permission Zephaniah 2:3a Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land,        you who do what he commands.        Seek righteousness, seek humility; When I take time to seek the Lord, I find Him everywhere.  He is in the clouds, in the sunset, in a friend's smile, in my husband's warm embrace.  He is represented in so much if His creation it is hard to miss Him if we only would take the time to seek Him. Seeking righteousness can be hard especially when there are seemingly several righteous solutions.  I read a book once called Right From Wrong by Josh McDowell.  It was a hard book to read because I wanted to argue with each chapter that I didn't immediately agree with.  As I got into each chapter and argument, I had to agree with the author.  We have lots of gray areas where there are two or more seemingly correct, righteous choices but with God there is only bla...

Ephesians 6: 11-18 The Armor of God Verse 14 is: Stand firm then, .......... with the breastplate of righteousness in place, The breastplate of righteousness is doing what is right.  That is a lot easier said than done. And to be perfectly honest, I think doing what is right changes over time.  I don't mean that God's definition of right and wrong changes.  I mean that the more I learn about the Bible and the closer my relationship gets with Christ, the more I learn about what right and wrong are.  I believe a lot more things are wrong that I used to.  They were always wrong.  I just didn't know it or I chose to ignore it. For example, there was a time when receiving too much change back was considered good luck, or not my problem, or even a gift from God.  But as I have grown in my Walk, I have come to KNOW that receiving then keeping that excess change is wrong and the same as stealing.  Now, if you aren't there yet, that is ok.  I am n...