Fall 2002
The Value of Righteousness P-2
Jerry Hyde

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him;
and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall bring
forth your righteousness as the light, and your
judgment as the noonday.” Psalm 37:5-6.

“For the arms (weapons) of the wicked shall be broken:
but the Lord upholds the righteous.” Psalm 37:17.

“The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein
forever.” Psalm 37:29.

“But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: He is
their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall
help them, and deliver them: He shall deliver them and
save them because they trust in Him.” Psalm 37:39-40.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was perfectly joined to His Father in a dependent relationship, and He looked to His Father for every provision for His life.

The Lord has a special regard for those who have come to the end of their strength and turn toward Him, acknowledging their dependence on Him. The foundation of our relationship to God is that we are to be utterly dependent upon the Lord for all things. Thus, Adam was formed from dust, not clay.

Before Adam rebelled in the garden, he was the outward expression of God to the visible earth. Every thought, motive, action, and even his very appearance originated from God. As long as Adam walked in a dependent relationship with the Lord, he was joined to Him. When he chose to be independent, he became detached and began to choose his own way. Man is being restored to this perfect dependency and trust in God.

The Lord is to be our very life, and our righteousness. This is a high idea of “righteousness.” It is a turning toward the Lord in full obedience and dependency upon Him for every aspect of our existence, including outward provision and protection.

The Lord has given many promises for those who put their trust in Him. He has a special regard for those who look to Him in times of trouble or need. He is indeed for those who are weak, and He notices in a very personal way when they cry out to him.

In order to correct the independent spirit that man inherited from Adam's fall, which desires to be in control, the Lord may allow the circumstances of life to be overwhelming at times, so this lesson of utter dependence can be learned. Those who have the greatest love and appreciation for God are invariably those who have come to utter spiritual bankruptcy. They know what it means to wait upon the Lord to renew (exchange) their weakness for His strength.

This is the meaning in Revelation 3:20 “I will come into him, and will
sup with him, and he with Me.” To the degree that we surrender ourselves, the Lord will become that which we have need of. The Laodicean church experienced the Lord’s provision and they prospered in material goods, but they missed the higher purpose of all this - the Lord desired to be their very life.

Some time ago, a lady in my church severely injured herself. The Lord intervened in an unusual way and she was instantly healed. A few weeks later, she injured herself in the same way again, but this time the Lord did not heal her. In intense pain, she asked the Lord what she should do, and He indicated that she should go back to her work in a factory.

Out of obedience, in agony, she went back to work. She said that at exactly 10
minutes after 10 in the morning, the Lord showed up with a presence she had never felt before. Her physical problem remained the same. However the Lord gave her strength that was much greater than the problem. She was able to go triumphantly through the rest of the day. The next day at exactly the same time, the Lord again came in the same way.

The Lord was showing her a valuable lesson. The Lord Himself is enough, even if He does not do anything. He later healed her, but she had found the Lord in a way that she had never before considered.

The Lord attempts to bring us to this place, in degrees, until our confidence in Him becomes strong. When we come to this place, we will begin to see God's power released in a greater way than we had ever known in our lives and circumstances.

“For the Lord knows the way of the righteous: but the way
of the ungodly shall perish.” Psalm 1:6.

“For You, Lord will bless the righteous; with favour will You
compass him, as with a shield.” Psalm 5:12.

“The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are
open to their cry.” Psalm 34:15.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers
him out of them all. He keeps all his bones: not one of them is
broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous
shall be desolate. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants: and
none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate.” Psalm 34:19-22.

The Lord desires to bring us from a place where we desire control, to the place where we let Him take control of our lives. In the righteous, this work has already begun. This is the promise of His coming (His Parousia, or presencing in the last days). With it will come great power, but the emphasis will be who He is. The result will be an increase in the deposit of God in us. He will never let us down.