Day 1: What Is Righteousness?
Because GOD IS ALWAYS RIGHT, I will do what He says!
Read or quote the memory verse: O Lord, You are righteous, Your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. - Psalms 119:137, 138, Discover God Bible, (NLT).
Let's begin this adventure by sharing one thing each of us did right today.
Sometimes being right is the difference between life and death. The astronauts who were in the Apollo 13 spacecraft knew that first hand. They were supposed to land on the moon, but something in their ship went terribly wrong. In the blink of an eye, the dream for a lunar landing was gone and hope of even making it home alive was small. The fuel supply was low and the oxygen supply even lower. Success was dependent upon a small team of people on earth. They worked hard to come up with a plan that would use the little bit of fuel the ship had left to propel them toward earth, enter the atmosphere at just the right angle so they wouldn't burn up, and do it before the astronauts' air ran out. The team knew that if they were wrong, even just a little bit, the spacecraft would miss earth and float off into space.They had to be right... and they were! Apollo 13 made it back to earth safe and sound!
When we talk about God's Righteousness, we're talking about God being right ALL the time!
Psalm 119:137, 138 says:
O Lord, You are righteous, and Your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. - Psalm 119:137, 138, Discover God Bible, (NLT).
Have you heard the word "righteous" before? (Some examples of slang versions include: Surfers use it to describe the perfect wave, "Crush", the turtle from Finding Nemo, uses it while riding the East Australian current, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles use it whenever things go right)
The most important thing to know about God's Righteousness is that it means He is always right. Everything He does, everything He says, and everything He thinks is right. He's never wrong... not even a little bit.
Can you imagine that? What would it be like if you were ALWAYS right?
Listen to the words of the following song about God's righteousness. See if it helps you understand what being righteous means.
God Is Right
God is Right, 100% of the time, Not 98 or 99.
God is Right, 100% of the time, He never has to say -- "Oops!"
Every decision, Every action, Everything He does, Is Right.
100% of the time, Not 98 or 99.
God is Right, 100% of the time, Even when He has to say, "No."
Believe in His Power, Trust in His Love, You can be sure
He'll do what's right.
100% of the time, Not 98 or 99,
God is Right, 100% of the time, He never has to say --"Oops!"
Music and lyrics by Kathy Bright, copyright 2001
How often is God right? (100% of the time)
In all of history, how many times has He been wrong or done something wrong? (Never)
Can you think of anyone else who is right 100% of the time?
Now listen to Psalm 119:137,138 again.
O Lord, You are righteous, and Your regulations are fair. Your laws are perfect and completely trustworthy. - Discover God Bible, (NLT).
Because God is always right, what does this verse say about His regulations (His regulations are His law and His words)? (They are right.)
There are people who don't like God's laws, like the Ten Commandments, because they don't want to live by them. They want to change God's laws so they feel better about breaking them.
Let me tell you how silly that is: What if I told you that I don't like corn and so whenever I see corn I'm going to decide it's candy and it will be candy? Would you think I'm crazy? It doesn't matter how much I dislike corn, I can't change what it is. No matter how much people may want sin to be right and good, they can't change what it is... and what is it? (Sin -- which means wrong and bad!)
God's Law's are righteous because God is righteous.
Here's the problem: These people don't want to change their behavior, so they try to change God.
Here are the facts: God is either Right 100% of the time or He's not. If He's not, then He's not God.
If a person tries to tell you that something isn't sin and you know the Bible clearly says that it is, you can be sure they aren't talking about a Righteous God, and therefore, they aren't talking about God.
Why does it matter?
Because God is Always Right, you can trust that everything He does and says is right.
Because God is Always Right, you can trust that His Laws are right and that if you follow them you won't be wrong.
Talk with God and Stay Connected to the Vine!
Tell God how you feel about the fact that He is right 100% of the time. Ask Him to help you with something you can't seem to do right.
All Bible Times for God Knows Everything