Good morning, Lord Jesus. Speak to my heart, Lord -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- as I listen for the leading of Your voice to begin my day in the communion of prayer with You. ...
"In accordance with His promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by Him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.... Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now to the day of eternity" (2 Peter 3:13-18).
One day -- at "the day of eternity" -- righteousness will be "at home" on this earth and throughout the heavens. You will set things right -- right with God, right with one another, right within ourselves. At the time You have ordained since before the foundation of the world, there will come a day of "the final restoration of all things" (Acts 3:21 NLT).
Between this day and that day, I want to have a heart that welcomes Your righteousness to be at home here in my heart. I want to grow in grace, grow in peace, grow in the knowledge and the nature of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And I thank You for Your patience with me.
In my own nature, apart from Your nature at work within me, righteousness is not yet "at home." That part of my heart not yet sanctified and softened by Your Spirit, that part of my heart that still remains hardened to Your will and Your ways would like to tell righteousness to "Go take a hike." Like even the Apostle Paul confessed of the inner conflict in his own soul, "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.... For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.... For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members" (Romans 7:15-23).
But in humility, Paul acknowledged his daily condition; and in faith, Paul acknowledged his daily need of his Savior. "Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24-25). That's a prayer and proclamation that You answered in the power of Your grace for him every day. Living in the power of the grace of God every day, he encouraged us to rely upon You and Your righteousness to be at work in us: "Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For it is God working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.... Hold firmly to the word of life" (Philippians 2:12-16 NLT).
Come, Holy Spirit. Every day, I need the mercy of my Father and the power of the blood of my Savior. Keep crucifying my flesh. Keep softening and sanctifying the hardness of my heart. Keep giving me the desire and the power to let You be at work within me until I come to the place "where righteousness is at home" in my heart. "For this is the will of God, (my) sanctification" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
My family, I pray that ask God this morning for righteousness to be at home in your heart, and allow the Holy Spirit to keep softening and sanctifying your heart today and every day in the power of the blood of Jesus, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friends!
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