“For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.” (Psalm 11:7)
Beloved, Last week we saw that our sin creates a barrier or separation between us and God. This week we see that those who are “upright” will enjoy the very presence of God. What does it mean to enjoy the presence of God? Can I enjoy God now or do I have to wait until after I die? Not only can we enjoy the very presence of God in our lives now, I would submit to you that if you are not currently enjoying God’s presence in this life you will certainly not experience it after death. In that famous passage in John 10: 10 where Jesus says that He has come to bring life abundantly, Jesus also speaks about the sheep that do not follow other people but only follow the Shepherd. Jesus says this is because the sheep know His voice and follow Him simply because He is their Shepherd. By contrast, sheep that are not His do not know His voice and do not follow Him. If it is true that the shepherd is the one who cares for the sheep, wouldn’t it be true that while the sheep are in the shepherd’s presence they would enjoy the benefits of the shepherds provision and protection? Isn’t it true that the sheep would recognize this fact and be drawn to the one who cares for them? It is true that in every life there are times of trouble when we feel as though we are all alone. There are days when we feel like we have been forsaken by everyone we know. In those days we may not sense the presence of God but make no mistake about it, these moments should be the exception as opposed to being the rule. If we do not sense God’s presence in our lives it is wise to ask why? It might be the sin problem we talked about last time but it might also be a righteousness problem. The verse above says God is righteous and He loves righteousness. It also says that the righteous will see Him. What does this tell you about what you have to be to see God? Yes, you have to be righteous. Can you achieve this on your own? Is there something about you that God finds attractive? Can you somehow rely on your family name, your church membership, your good works (that is all the things you have done for God)? No. The kind of righteousness required to see God is only available through the shed blood of Jesus Christ which is only applied to those who in repentance fall on their face at the feet of God and beg for His mercy. Only those who with a brokenness and humility confess their rebellion before God will see His face; that is be in His presence. Does God desire for you to be in His presence? Yes, but we all have to come before God in the way He says; in righteousness. No other way will work.
Word for the weak
Righteousness, (7404) צַדִּיק (ṣǎd∙dîq): adj.; righteous, upright, just, i.e., pertaining to being a person in accordance with a proper standard, guiltless, i.e., pertaining to not having sin or wrongdoing according to a just standard. Used this week in Psalm 11: 7.
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