LMI's 'A word for your week' devotional taken from Psalm 23:3b

Jehovah Tsidkenu - The Lord our Righteousness 

“He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake’ He restores my soul”. - Psalm 23 v3b 

The shepherd leads his sheep in the paths he knows are best for their welfare. Otherwise they would run into danger and trouble. The Lord Jesus told the story of the lost sheep so that even the religious leaders, who thought they were better than the others listening, were without excuse.

Jesus said ‘there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance’. Luke 15:7 

The psalmist testifies that his shepherd leads him in paths of righteousness so that the glory will be His. Romans 3:23 ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’. God loved us so much that He provided ‘the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe’ Romans 23:22. Our self-righteousness is of no avail. 

‘For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God’ 2 Corinthians 5:21.  Amazingly righteousness is repeated over ninety times in the New Testament!. 

Our Good Shepherd is leading us on after Himself, helping us to maintain our walk with Him, even when the path is rocky and steep. As we keeping looking to Him, he encourages us to follow His way so that our lives will glorify Him. 

What gift of grace is Jesus my redeemer 

There is no more for heaven now to give 

He is my joy, my righteousness, and freedom 

My steadfast love, my deep and boundless peace 

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus 

For my life is wholly bound to His 

Oh how strange and divine, I can sing, ‘All is mine’ 

Yet not I, but through Christ in me 

Extract from Yet not I but through Christ in me 

By Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson & Michael Farren