DRAWING NEAR
October 23
The Source of Righteousness
"The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous
altogether" (Ps. 19:9).
God's Word is true and produces righteousness in the believer's life.
The inability of human wisdom to produce right living was reaffirmed
in my thinking as I read a contemporary psychiatrist's book on how to
overcome depression. The doctor's first suggestion was to shout
"Cancel!" every time you have a negative thought. She also
recommended playing a tape recording of positive messages while you
sleep at night, and listening to positive music during the day.
Cultivating a meaningful spiritual philosophy was another of her
suggestions. She said any will do--as long as it works for you--but
cautioned against those that speak of sin and guilt. Her final point
was to find the spiritual light within yourself.
That kind of advice is foolish because it has no basis in truth. The
best it can do is mask a few symptoms. It cannot cure the illness.
Jesus illustrated the hopelessness of searching for truth through
such means when He said to a group of unbelievers, "Why do you not
understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.
You are of your father the devil . . . [who] does not stand in the
truth, because there is no truth in him.
"Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a
liar, and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do
not believe Me. . . . He who is of God hears the words of God; for
this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God" (John
8:43-47).
Unbelievers don't see the truth of God's Word for what it is. But
believers hear the truth and receive it. Like David, they acknowledge
that "the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous
altogether" (Ps. 19:9).
"Judgments" in that context speaks of ordinances or divine verdicts
from the Supreme Judge. "Righteous altogether" implies that Scripture
produces comprehensive righteousness in all who receive it. Together
they emphasize that true righteousness originates from God's Word and
flows through His people.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Praise God for giving you the truth that produces righteousness.
For Further Study:
What do the following verses say about God's righteous Word: Psalm
119:89, 128, 137-38, 142, and 160?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Psalm 119:89
89 Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
Psalm 119:128
128 Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to
be right; I hate every false way.
Psalm 119:137-138
137 Righteous are You, O LORD, And upright are Your judgments.
138 Your testimonies, which You have commanded, Are righteous and
very faithful.
Psalm 119:142
142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law
is truth.
Psalm 119:160
160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your
righteous judgments endures forever.
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
http://www.gty.org/Gospel/
http://www.nwbible.org/
To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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