Righteous Dedication
By Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of March 31, 2024
We’re shifting into a place where God is making things in our lives more right.
Where we have awakened to God’s wisdom and known Him more, where we’ve chosen more true justice above self-justification, more God dependence over self-reliance and more selflessness in general over selfishness, God is bringing His beloved into an abundance of manifest righteousness.
The verse Holy Spirit highlighted to me is Isaiah 43:7 TPT, which says, “Bring me everyone who is called by my name, the ones I created to experience my glory. I myself formed them to be who they are and made them for my glory.”
Even as I write, I have a sense that this manifest righteousness will touch every area of our lives and some areas in particular more than others.
This is a recompense, yes, a reward for faithful commitment and even more. It’s an expression of God’s faithfulness. A reflection of Him in our inward state of being. A gracious revealing that Holy Spirit has grown His willing ones to receive better. It’s answer to prayer and markers of destiny. It’s gracious blessing of making so many full of His joy to bring Him glory and overflow to others (Isaiah 43:7 TPT).
HELPS Word-studies says of these righteous ones "…they are justified (…"made right, righteous") by God's grace each time they receive (obey) faith" (Strong’s #1344).
The Word righteous means what’s just in character and ways, according to God (Vine’s). It’s what’s approved by God and judged as right, just and holy in His eyes.
Righteousness works in tandem with justice as a governing rule of divine authority. So much so that they’re the foundation of God’s throne (Psalm 89:14). Therefore, anything that is truly righteous is supportive of God’s reign.
To be dedicated to this, means one must submit to God’s heart, His nature—His holy character and ways.
By grace through faith, Christ makes us righteousness in spirit. To choose to be dedicated to Him in soul and body requires us to align with His Spirit in character and principles, trusting Him enough to follow His lead and sacrificing whatever is necessary along the way as we grow in Him.
Therefore, a righteous walk requires us to conform to Him and His will consistently. And we can only do this with Holy Spirit’s help. As we know Him and yield to Him increasingly, He lifts us out of dis-grace and builds us in what’s right in His eyes by His grace-power.
In this way, God restores honor.
As God does this, He will alert His willing ones to any diversion(s) as attacks against them and their path to get them off-course.
These diversions are efforts of the enemy that oppose God’s righteous direction for His beloved. They often work through a well-meaning, but self-righteous person, full of their own opinions; or through an envious person, who’s under demonic influence, such as Saul toward David.
Holy Spirit especially highlighted this to remind His people to be alert as we build forward with God’s anointing to restore His people (1 Peter 5:8).
This reminds me of Nehemiah and his famous message: "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you" (Nehemiah 6:3 ESV)? In other words, don’t bow to the enemy.
What’s right in God’s eyes often doesn’t make sense to many of us, including loved ones who desire God’s best for us and, yes, especially to those who work against us and God. Therefore, it’s critically important to discern what’s truly of God by listening to His voice above every other, and follow His instructions, even if they seem new to us or unusual.
Remember, too, that a person cannot dedicate themselves to God and evil simultaneously. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:14 TPT, "Don’t continue to team up with unbelievers in mismatched alliances, for what partnership is there between righteousness and rebellion? Who could mingle light with darkness?"
Sadly, this can even mean those close to us, whom we love, even believers who still have unbelief in one or more particular areas.
Therefore, we must make wise choices on the right path in God’s eyes, even if others close to us don’t understand. To do this, we must have a closer relationship with God than anyone else. We must hear from Him for ourselves and study His Word.
We are coming into a time of Isaiah 30:1 and we need to continue to stay on course and be strong in our Lord.
The TPT version of this verse says, "Lord, I will exalt you and lift you high, for you have lifted me up on high! Over all my boasting, gloating enemies, you made me to triumph."
So, let’s discern His best for our lives.
Pray with me if you will . . .
Dear Lord,
Thank You for your rich mercy, for choosing us and for building us by Your grace-power. Please continue to help us by expanding our hearts of dedication to You, as our superpower.
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
Amen.
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
Originally published Sunday, 31 March 2024.
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