“Day Thirty”
10/30/2018 Elder Willard Proctor, Jr.
Father God, we want to stand before You in “Righteousness”
(Ezra 5: 11- 16)
Father God, in the Name of Jesus, in our lifetime, we have been privileged to behold beauty, experience love and enjoy the solace of peace. However, there is no beauty, love or peace that can be compared to what we have found in You. Your Beauty is Breathtaking! It is so Vibrant that our minds are unable to fully embrace Its Splendor. Your Love is Boundless. It reached from the heights of Your Throne, which sits far above the heavens, to the deepest parts of hell to deliver the Saints that were being held captive. Your Peace is Tranquil. There is no pain, sorrow, storm or disturbance that It cannot calm. Alleluia!
Father God, we want to Stand before You in Righteousness. Father, we have come to understand that Righteousness is achieved when we are free from guilt or sin. To be Righteous requires that we be good, just, virtuous, honest, upright, merciful, wise and ethical. The tongue of the Righteous speak of judgment. The steps of the Righteous are ordered by God. The heart of the Righteous trusts solely in the Lord and waits patiently on Him for deliverance. So, Righteousness is not just refraining from the act of sin. Righteousness is much deeper than that. Righteousness is refraining from the thought of sin in the heart.
Father God, Ezra showed us why Standing in Righteousness is required. When we don’t Stand in Righteousness, we will provoke You to anger. Ezra noted: 11 And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up. 12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.
Father God, we want to Stand in Righteousness. We understand that to Stand in Righteousness requires that we take up and maintain a posture of Righteousness. Inherent in our Stand in Righteousness are two key concepts. First, we have to take up Righteousness. We have to learn what goodness, justice, virtue and honesty require. Then, after we learn what is required, we have to do it.
Father God, help us to take up Righteousness by teaching us what Righteousness is and what Righteousness requires. Then, Father, help us to apply what we learn. Father, make us hearers and doers! Make us good, just, virtuous, honest and upright in all of our doings.
Father God, the second concept inherent in Standing in Righteousness is the requirement to maintain our posture. This has been the most difficult task for us. Good intentions, good starts and great motives pave the road to destruction and death. Our lives are full of galleries of pictures where we started to do the right thing but failed to keep it up. We want to maintain, and in order to maintain, we must endure. We must endure our flesh. Our flesh attacks us in various forms, but, Father, though we might bow or even bend at times, strengthen us so that we always Stand in Righteousness. We must endure our enemies. Our enemies oppress us and make it difficult to stand. Nevertheless, strengthen us so that we always Stand in Righteousness
Father God, help us to maintain our posture in Holiness. When we do, You will do just what You did for Israel. As proof, we need look no farther than what was recorded by Ezra: 13 But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon the same king Cyrus made a decree to build this house of God. 14 And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought them into the temple of Babylon, those did Cyrus the king take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered unto one, whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; 15 And said unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in his place. 16 Then came the same Sheshbazzar, and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem: and since that time even until now hath it been in building, and yet it is not finished.
Father God, when we Stand in Righteousness before You, our flesh walks in conformance to Your Will. You make our enemies work for our good. You made the very Babylonians, that brought Israel into captivity and destroyed the temple, rebuild and restore it. You Are Awesome! The very person, place or thing that steps on us and beats us down becomes our footstool and aid when we Stand in Righteousness before You. Alleluia! Praise God!
Father God, Standing in Righteousness before You requires that we confess our sins and iniquities. During this Holy Convocation, we have poured out our hearts to You. There have been painful truths that we have had to confront about ourselves. We can’t hide anything from You. But, foolishly, we have tried. Thank-You Father for not letting us get away with it. The Mirror of Your Word has shown us what we are, where we are going and what we need to change.
Father God, Standing in Righteousness before You requires that we change. Some people love to repent. They enjoy the confession. They are skilled in pouring out. They know how to repent, but, they don’t know how to stop. After repenting, they turn and go back. You said that You grow weary with repenting. You don’t want us to be like this. So Father, help us to move past repentance from dead works. Break, once and forever, the chains, yokes, burdens and bondages that keep us from Standing in Righteousness. Turn us, Father, completely and forever to You!
Father God, Standing in Righteousness before You requires endurance. There is no Place like the Place we find when Stand in Your Presence. Your Protection, Peace and Joy surrounds us. Although all these are true facts, every day will not be easy. You told us that if we are Righteous our afflictions would be many. However, You also promised that even though we would have many afflictions, You would deliver us out of them all. What a Blessing!
Father God, You have made seven (7) additional promises that belong to the Righteous. We trust and rest in these promises because of two immutable things - - 1. You cannot lie; and 2. You cannot fail. First, You have provided us with assurance that we will never be forsaken or left as beggars through our forefather’s David testimony that he had never seen the Righteous forsaken or seen his seed begging for bread. Second, You have promised that the little that the Righteous have is better than the riches of many wicked. Third, You have assured us that You uphold the Righteous! Fourth, You said that the Righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein for ever. Fifth, You promised that the salvation of the Righteous is of the Lord. Sixth, You promised that You are the strength of the Righteous in the time of trouble. Seventh, You promised that You would help the Righteous and deliver them from the wicked. Father, we Stand on these promise!
So Father God, give us more Holy Ghost so that we can endure hardness like a good soldier. Father, give us more Grace, so that we can we can be saved from our enemies and from ourselves. Father, give us more Wisdom, so that we will have the understanding of how to apply the knowledge You have given us on how to maintain our Stand in Righteousness. Father, give us more of Your Tender Mercies, so that each day, Your Brand New Mercies will cover our faults and make us perfect in Your Sight. Father God, in the Name of Jesus, help us. Remember our frame, we are but dust. Truly, the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Be Our Everlasting Source of Strength so that we Stand in Righteousness before You for ever. In Jesus Name, Amen.