The Fruit of Righteousness

I sat in my car yesterday afternoon as I grabbed a quick bite (emphasis on quick) between class and picking JT up from preschool.

It was one of those beautiful sunny days when the inside of the car is decidedly warmer than it is outside.  Some people find that stuffy and suffocating, I happen to love it.  I am naturally cold so any time I can bask in the kind of sunshine that warms you to the bone I treasure it, especially after the kind of winter we have had!

As I sat there in the car, loving the warmth that was sweeping over me, wrapping itself around me, I thought of this verse from Isaiah...

"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet and confidence forever." Isaiah 32:17

Righteousness, this kind of righteousness, the kind that will result in peace and cause quiet and confidence in your soul, is simply the state of moral perfection.

Well, that sounds achievable! I guess I better get started on that!  

WAIT!  Keep reading!  That's not the end!  

No one, not one of us, will ever be able to achieve moral perfection.  We can't.  It's not possible, it's not achievable .  We will NEVER be righteous by our own accord.

Our righteousness, our way to peace and quiet and confidence, is through faith in Christ alone, not by "doing the right thing".   We will never be able to do enough of the right things to be considered righteous.  It can only come from Jesus the Christ.

I know, I know that right now SO many of us are lacking peace.  Our lives don't feel quiet and we can't remember the last time we truly felt confident in anything.  

I want you to know that the peace, quiet and confidence that you are looking for can only be found through faith in Jesus Christ.  Not just believing IN him, but by believing him! Letting HIM change your life.  Letting HIM lead you to righteousness.

When that happens, the fruit of that life, that truth in you, the fruit of that will be peace, the effect it will be quiet and confidence in your very soul. 

And it feels a whole lot like basking in sunshine that warms you to the bone.  It feels every part of you, it wraps you up and holds you close.  And there is NOTHING that feels better than that.