the righteous Lord loveth righteousness

Behold dear reader the Cowbell. Traditionally used in folk and bluegrass music. We hesitate to recommend that if ever a song is lacking it is probably due to a deficiency of this instrument. I wanted every one of you to know this meaningless fact and therefore make your day a better day.
Anyway, on to more substantial content. God's been threshing me. Oh how glorious it is when the Father of life condescends to burn away chaff in my life. I was reading Psalm 11 the other day (it's going to be the basis of a new song). In the KJV it says in verse 7,
"For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright." I LOVE that. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness. Why does a righteous Lord love righteousness? Because He delights in Himself and in His perfections! Isaiah says that our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6). Paul says that his own righteousness was rubish/dung (Phi. 3)! Ezekiel told a parable, "Again, When a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand (Eze. 3:20)." It is apparent that any righteousness obtained apart from the "righteous Lord," is useless and faulted. Christianity lived in the righteousness the flesh brings is corrupt and irredeemable. All too often we live our lives in that place of flesh/law righteousness.
But praise God. The matchless righteous one. The infinite blameless one. The magnificent pure and holy one. Jeremiah reveals, "In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this [is] his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jer. 23:6)." When I live dependant on the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS I find life, peace, joy, security, defense, and a God-honoring life. Notice this does not depend on our circumstances. If the Lord is my righteousness, I can be chained to the wickedest circumstances and the Lord promises to defend and sheild me.
My prayer is that we would live in His righteousness. What Christ has already attained for us is a pure, faultless lifestyle that is above reproach. Only inside of this abode do I find freedom from depravity. And the rest of Psalm 11:7 promises that the Lord's countenance is upon the upright. God looks upon me with favor when I rest in the merit of His Son. We often sing about "Lord let me see Your face." However, Ps. 11:7 makes it clear that only the pure and upright will see God's completely holy, righteous, just, awesome, countenance. Thus, we surrender to the only One who can make this possible, the unblemished Jesus of Nazareth!

Almighty Father. We recognize that it is only through the merit of Thy son that we can behold Thee at all. God, You show infinite forebearance whenever we tritely enunciate our flippant desire to see thy face. Lord save us from thinking that Thy face be like that of any other's face. Thy face is fire, burnished bronze. Thy face is death to any unrighteousness. Thy face destroys any flesh that dares a pretense on Thy almighty throne. Let the righteousness of Thy son be our covering from the damnation our depravity deserves. Let His blameslessness cause you to delight in Thyself on our behalf. For Thy pleasure is our good, and Thy goodness is our delight. For Thou, Oh righteous Lord, love Thy righteousness in us that Thou hast bestowed upon us in Thy infinite goodness!

For His renown,
BenZ

PS- Check out www.myspace.com/benzornesband for a NEW!!!! live recording of "Holy God Humble King!"