Holy, holy, holy God,
Your Word makes it very clear that no one can possibly enter into Your presence, because since sin entered our world in Genesis 3…
no one will be justified in [Your] sight by the works of the law.
But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God
has been revealed…through faith in Jesus Christ
to all who believe (Rom. 3:20-22 ESV)!
Now, we live in Your New Covenant time of salvation!
I don’t like to think of myself as a sinner, for I like to see myself as a good person, a righteous person even. But Your holy standard isn’t possible for me. Your righteous requirement is always obeying Your law perfectly, every single moment, always with completely sinless motives. Your holy command is to love You with ALL my heart, mind, and soul and to perfectly love others as myself (Mt. 22:37-39).
Always, even in my every thought. Throughout my whole life.
Even when I’m suffering.
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
(“On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand,” Mote, E., 1834)
My only righteousness as I suffer? It’s Jesus.
I do sin, sometimes even turning away from You in my pain. But You tenderly beckon me to re-turn to You, to re-turn to the gospel truth that my righteousness does not come from me and never could; it only comes from Your gift of my righteousness in Christ!
It’s His perfectly obedient righteousness “put into my account,” through the faith You’ve given to me, when You put me in union with Him (Rom. 3:21-22, 4:6-11, 24-25, 10:4).
The punishment I deserve for any sin, You’ve now laid on the One who never sinned, in Your covenant love for me as one united with Christ.
Clinging to Your promise that my righteousness in Christ is complete
As I suffer, help me to cling to this gospel promise when I’m tempted to forget You’ve already clothed me in Jesus’ sinless robe of righteousness.
In those moments, I’m then tempted to forget Your compassionate, covenant love toward me.
I forget what Jesus has done for me on the cross. My heart easily hardens and fears Your judgment, making my suffering even worse as I turn away from Your grace and peace (Rom. 5:1; Gal. 1:6, 8).
I start to think I need to pray differently or somehow earn Your love and acceptance to make my suffering disappear. Or to feel like I have to prove it to others. To You. I begin to stand on my own works, or how strong or weak I think my faith is, or my wishes for an easy and comfortable life…instead of Christ, the solid Rock.
When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in ev’ry high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.
New Covenant promises of our righteousness in Christ!
I see my sin and it’s discouraging. But I’m no longer under the law, instead under grace in this New Covenant time, so, by Your Spirit’s work within me, sin no longer rules me!
Help me to remember and believe Your promised gospel gift, the “righteousness of God that depends on faith,” when I’m tempted to think I’ve done something to earn suffering as punishment for my sins (Gal. 5:5; Phil. 3:9).
His oath, his covenant, his blood
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.
Putting on my “new self,” in this suffering, as one who wears the righteousness of my beloved Savior!
Help me to love You and others from a safe and solid place of peace and rest as I look to Jesus’ righteousness and “put on the new self” You’ve already gifted to me,
created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:24 ESV).
It came in your “justification gift package!”
Because this is why Jesus died in Your deep love for me, to be sin for me. He took my place, the greatest exchange and gift ever imagined.
So, You promise, “By his wounds you have been healed,” so that I can now…
die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24 ESV).
Help my sin-sick soul to find the happiest blessing of those…
who hunger and thirst for righteousness(Mt. 5:6 ESV)…
as I continually “practice righteousness” by loving You and others, through Christ who dwells in me by Your Spirit (1 Jn. 3:9-10 ESV). What a healing balm.
Practicing righteousness as I suffer, Your gracious gospel gift
When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found,
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne.
I’m in Your practice room, continually needing to re-turn to You because of this very suffering, but the music will be so sweet!
For You promise my great reward, one wholly of Your grace and gift, from the beginning to that glorious last day.
Father, thank You for Your promise that You…
will sustain [me] to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom [I was] called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor. 1:8-9 ESV).
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.
All glory to You, oh Lord, for Your very great and precious promise of my righteousness, in Christ alone! It brings me hope, peace, and even joy as I suffer. For this suffering is somehow Your gracious gift to bring this all about, my faithful and holy Lord. In the name of my beloved Savior and King, my only righteousness, Jesus Christ, amen.
Material adapted from Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering: A Devotional Bible Study Prayer Journal, Lauri A. Hogle, © 2023
A playlist gift to sing of our righteousness in Christ, as we suffer
This week’s playlist gift sings these gospel truths to our hurting souls. When all around my soul gives way, it’s then that I have to look at the cross of Christ and remember I’m now clothed in His perfectly righteous and sinless life. He’s keeping me from despair with this amazing New Covenant promise of the gospel! The songs are His gifts, and I’d love to share them with you, my suffering sister in Christ. Sign up below if this will be His encouragement to you too.
To read more of Lauri’s writing, you can use her devotional Bible study lament prayer journals: Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering, or Near to God: A Devotional Bible Study of God’s Character as We Suffer, or Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering. In the Valleys of God’s Love is written for children aged 3-8, a perfect read for grandparents, parents, and children to share together, preparing them for suffering to come.
For Scripture devotionals, calming hymns, and encouragement from Lauri, click here for YouTube channel
If you also live with chronic illness, chronic pain, serious illness like a chiari malformation or cancer, anxiety, depression, and insomnia that results from it all…here’s a music therapy-inspired podcast of only Scriptures and hymn playing to calm the symptoms.
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