I am writing this on Saturday, July 1 to be published Monday, July 3. Half the year is now behind us.

Two questions immediately come to mind. First, where has the year gone? How did it get by so fast? Is it July already?

But, there is also a second question. This question is of a different nature.

What have I done in this year? What have I done that pleases God? What have I done for His kingdom?

Yesterday, part of my regular practice of reading Scripture and meditating on it took me to Psalm 11. This brief Psalm deals with the hurts and tragedies of this life. It asks what we all ask, that is, how can these things be?

The Psalm ends in the strongest way possible. It brings us to God. This is what it says about the Lord and about righteous living that pleases God.

“For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face” (Psalm 11:7).

Notice the three important assertions about God.

First, the Lord is righteous. This is exactly who He is. It is not just what He does. He is righteous and can always be depended on to be true to Himself.

Second, the Lord loves righteousness. When we do right in spite of the circumstances, God loves our behavior.

To put it in language we all understand, when we do the right thing, we make Him smile.

Third, the upright will stand in the presence of the Lord.

Take just a moment to think and reflect on that statement. Who will stand in God’s presence? Who will live forever with God?

Aren’t these the most important questions for life?

We know two great truths. First, we know that we who have trusted Christ have been made righteous in Him. We are not naturally righteous nor can we achieve righteousness, but we can be “declared righteous” as we trust Christ with all our hearts.

Second, we can seek to be like Christ, living righteously and desiring to please Him.

God loves righteousness, and He loves to see His children doing the right thing.

I want to make the rest of the year a time of righteous living before God. I want to think and act as He does.

I want to make God smile.

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