A River of Righteous Living that will Never Run Dry

Amos, "Keep on disobeying- your sins are mounting up!... Then give your extra voluntary offerings so you can brag about it everywhere! This is the kind of thing you love to do... 'But still you wouldn't return to Me,' says the LORD... I hate all your show and pretense- the hypocrisy of our religious festivals and solemn assemblies... Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry."

How often we live our lives fooling ourselves by thinking, "as long as I am doing my duty, serving in the church, leading songs, acting nice in front of others, basically looking like I am good outwardly, this is all I need to do." This is a lie that Satan wants all of us to believe, for God has called us all to a higher standard. He has called us to show the image of Christ in our changed life to others. It is not to just outsiders like people we go to church with, but to the ones closest to us, our families, our spouse, our children, our parents. I often tend to fool myself, by thinking that I am better and can do something on my own, but then my parents come to visit and I realize that I am exactly the same. My attitude turns sour and my actions are not loving. We all have someone that we do this with. At work we can be very likable people, then we return home to our spouse and we act horrible and degrade the very ones we are supposed to truly love. It is in these times that our true character is revealed. It is during this time that I have to look at just how far I still need to go.

Please dear God, change my very heart. Change the very person that I am, so that I can truly live according to your Holy Spirit. Give me the ability to show your love, no matter what situation I am in. Don't ever let me become relaxed to the point of sinning, just because my loved ones are supposed to forgive me and "take it."
Oswald Chambers, "The teachings of Jesus are all out of proportion when compared to our natural way of looking at things, and they come to us initially with astonishing discomfort. We gradually have to conform our walk and conversation to the precepts of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit applies them to our circumstances. The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations— it is a picture of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is having His unhindered way with us."

Am I Blessed Like This?

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Blessed are . . . —Matthew 5:3-11

http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/my-utmost-for-his-highest/07/25/devotion.aspx?year=2009