Growing in Righteousness
Scripture is one of the most important aspects of our Christian spirituality.
God has chosen to speak to us through His Word. Rather than waiting around to hear the voice of God, we can turn to Scripture and hear God speaking to us.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us first and foremost that Scripture is God-breathed. This means that it is inspired by God. This makes Scripture unlike any other book. God divinely inspired human authors to write these letters.
More than that, Scripture has the power to radically change our lives if we read it and live it out. Paul tells us that Scripture is able to teach us, rebuke us, correct us, and train us in righteousness. All of these things are happening when we choose to engage in God’s Word.
When we read God’s Word, we should be attentive to what God is communicating to us. He may want to correct some of our behavior, convict us of choosing our own way instead of His, or teach us something about Himself.
All of these things are so that we can continue to live in a way that pleases God.
As we read Scripture and do what it says, we grow in living righteously. We are also equipped for the good works that God wants us to do.
Engaging with God’s Word is the primary way that God equips us for the life He planned for us.
What ways can you continue to build a habit of reading God’s Word every day? Consider how you can better live out what God’s Word says so that you can grow in righteousness and accomplish all God wants for you.
Seeking Hope in the Midst of Sorrow
Lamentations is a book of sorrow, written in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction. The city lay in ruins. Grief covered the people like dust. But right in the middle of this lament, something remarkable happens: a word of hope.
"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him."
Lamentations 3:25 NIV
Jeremiah, who scholars believe is the likely author of Lamentations, writes this verse not because everything was good, but because he knew God is good, even when life is not. This kind of hope is a deliberate choice to seek God’s presence when things seem dark. It’s trusting in His character when circumstances don’t make sense.
The verse highlights two actions: hoping and seeking. Hope in God fixes our eyes forward, on what He will do. Seeking Him draws us inward into relationship with the God who is already near.
Verse 26 continues the theme: “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” The Hebrew word for ...