James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
Jesus is truth and God’s mercy is offered to all who accept Him. All good comes from our Father and is offered in salvation. In the tender care of Holy Spirit we dwell. We abide in the righteousness of Jesus and not in ours.
Psalm 85:10-13
10 Mercy and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed.
11 Truth shall spring out of the earth,
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before Him,
And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. Carla
The words mercy and truth often appear together in the Scriptures to express one concept. Here they are viewed as separate entities that come together, in the same way that righteousness and peace have kissed. The union of God’s mercy and truth and His righteousness and peace describes the way things ought to be, or the state of peace spoken of in verse 8. The blending of the ideals of truth and righteousness in verse 11 suggests a vision of the kingdom of God (Isaiah 11). The fact that the word righteousness appears three times in the last four verses of this psalm alludes to the holiness of the coming kingdom of God and the sinlessness of the Savior and King who will rule over it. The NKJV Study Bible
Loyal love and faithfulness will meet one another. The psalmist portrays mutual faithfulness between Yahweh and Israel. God’s chesed (“steadfast love”) is His defining characteristic (Exododus 34:6).
Israel’s unfaithfulness has made it impossible for righteousness and peace to exist together because Yahweh’s righteousness could not tolerate Israel’s waywardness (Psalm 85:8). Israel’s unrighteousness offended God and caused injustice within the nation.
God cares for Israel.
Righteousness will go before him. This phrase may have an intentional double meaning: God’s righteousness (tsedeq in Hebrew) enables Israel’s faithfulness and Israel’s righteousness and makes it so that Yahweh can express His love without violating His character ( verses 10–11). Faithlife Study Bible
Psalm 89:14
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Mercy and truth go before Your face.
Psalm 72:2–3
He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
Isaiah 45:8
“Rain down, you heavens, from above,
And let the skies pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,
And let righteousness spring up together.
I, the LORD, have created it.
All changes, all growth, all improvements in the quality of our lives flow out of our vision of God. And when our vision of God is one of a God of relentless tenderness, we ultimately become tender ourselves.
(Thank you Brennan Manning, The Wittenburg Door, Oct–Nov 1986)
Even so. I can be easily derailed. And I fall back under the spell of angst. And that unnerves me.
But even there, I’m invited to participate in this life. To bring all that I am (without letting the unsettled parts dictate) to the table of this moment. To invest my whole heart. What Barbara Kingsolver calls a conspiracy with life.
My friend Phil Volker used to say that it takes one kind of hope to show up for life, and another kind to partake. I don't think we are supposed to be casual observers here with our precious—and often precarious—time.
This can be transformative. Embraced by a God of relentless tenderness, gratitude empowers us to spill the incarnation. And embracing beauty allows us to practice the sacrament of the present moment. And that which we have buried—mercy, gentleness, kindheartedness, tenderness—comes to life. Let us never forget that. Sabbath Moments
Psalm 132:11 (ESV) "The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: 'One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne. '"
God's Word is true, and His promises never fail.
Even in seasons of difficulty and disappointment, when life is hard and we feel forgotten like God's people did in exile, we can remain hopeful and find peace in this promise: He reigns. Today we know Christ has come, and He is on the throne.
Centuries after Psalm 132:11 was written, God's promise was fulfilled. The angel Gabriel, sent by God, greeted Mary with this announcement of a new covenant of peace: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:30-33).
As we remember Christ's birth, let's rejoice in His fulfillment of God's promises and find peace in His enduring reign. Our true and faithful God is worth celebrating all year, in every season. First5
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