Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it. Isa 45:8 ESV
Rain. I am watching it come down at this moment. And no one is complaining. We need it badly. This has been a dry year. The hills that should normally be green around us are still a shade between brown and grey. But with this week's abundant rainfall, that should change.
Creation Responds to God's Blessing
God has made His creation to respond to His blessings. His falling rain will result in green hills, beautiful flowers, tasty fruit, necessary crops, etc. God blessing's also bears fruit in us. The prophet Isaiah understood that the Lord's poured out righteousness would result in double blessing for His people.
Righteousness Results in Salvation
The Hebrews were facing terrible times when Isaiah prophesied. Foreign Empires threatened to destroy God's people. Most of the people were taken into captivity and disappeared to history. But God would bring salvation in the person of Cyrus. He defeated the Babylonians and restored the nation of Judah. It was out of this stump (Isa. 6:13) that the Lord would bring salvation not just to the Hebrews but to all people through Jesus, His Suffering Servant (Isa. 52-53). God's righteousness provided for Jesus to come on our behalf. Jesus' righteousness results in our salvation.
Righteousness Results in Righteousness
The Lord's righteous, when poured out on His people, results in righteousness. The message of salvation is too often reduced to an insurance policy to get us into heaven, but it is much more than that. When we re-establish a right relationship with God, the righteousness of God is re-inaugurated in our lives so that not only are we ultimately not held accountable for our wrongdoing, but we are made capable of right-doing.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Eph 2:10 ESV.
So one of the best effects of our salvation is that the Lord's righteousness results in our righteousness.
May the Lord's salvation and His righteousness abound in your life daily
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Happy
St Patrick's
Day
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