DATE POSTED Monday, 2021-12-27
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 2 Samuel 22:21-25
TRANSLATION: New International Version (NIV)

BIBLE TEXT: ²¹ “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;  according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
²² For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God.
²³ All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
²⁴ I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
²⁵ The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.

APPLICATION: I remember as a teenager I went home for lunch, and wanted to return to school early, so that I could play with the other kids before school resumed for the afternoon session. Mom reluctantly allowed me to return early, provided that I assured her of my good behavior until the official start of afternoon school. Saying ‘yes’ to mom allowed me to get I wanted, so I ran to school. After much hard playing, I fell and cut my arm open on a broken bottle. Right away I concluded that I could not go home to mom, who didn’t want me to return to school early anyway, so I went to a favorite aunt who patched me up. Upon arriving home after school that afternoon, it was comical to see how I tried to hide my arm behind my back so mom wouldn’t see my mishap!! Doesn’t that remind us how it will be when we walk before the King of all kings? But I was amazed by David in our Scripture today, for he knew that he was guiltless and could therefore approach God boldly, and he would be considered righteous before God. Of course this made me ponder how the guilty, and the non-guilty would do in their approach with God, for you see – He not only knows about those things we fell like the world knows, but He also knows about those things we thought were hidden from everyone else, plus God knows our very thoughts and ill feelings that we harbor against our neighbors/friends. So, surely God would not have us live in such misery and die in shame, would He? It is clear from all that God did for us that He would rather do just the opposite. We just celebrated the birth of God’s precious Son that He miraculously sent to earth to save us from our sin and the guilt associated with our sin. This gift was not just made available to the best of mankind – those who try to obey every law and be gracious to every neighbor. But God’s gift, Jesus, is available to ALL who believe on Him. In John 3:16 we are told that ALL who believe on Jesus, will have everlasting, or eternal, life! For the one who accepts this gift, and the promise of the Father associated with this gift, we become righteous just as He is. We then become just like David, where we could praise God every day for the freedom we have in standing before Him as a righteous son or daughter. Friends, it is possible, but only through the wonderful work of Jesus. Without accepting the gift of God, we are unrighteous, and deserve the only alternative destination – Hell. What’s your destiny – heaven, or hell? It depends on whether you are righteous (because of Jesus), or if you are unrighteous? You determine, my friend!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: David was convinced that God saw him blameless because he had kept himself from sin, and that He consequently had rewarded him for his righteousness. Wow, we too could be that confident and assured before God!

PRAYER: Lord, I believe that You designed us with our own guilt meter! For we know full well when we decidedly disobey Your commands and Your will for our lives. This has sometimes led to our hearts being hardened, and our minds being buried in total guilt. Please Lord, direct us to Your Word daily, and help us to stay focused on what You would have us do each day. For I believe that this is what leads us into ministering to others and encouraging them to look towards the Kingdom, where only You could cleanse us of our sin and make us righteous in Your sight. The lost is looking for Your followers who exemplify You in every way. May we be true to our calling and allow You to have Your will and way in our lives everyday, so that Your ministry might be fulfilled even through humble men and women who love and serve You. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!