Psalm 4 - Righteousness

What is righteousness?  It sounds so ostentatious and hard.  Like I must be a Hercules and surmount impossible odds to achieve what others cannot. Righteousness.  Sounds churchy.  I would never think to call myself a "righteous" woman. I am simply not good enough.

So, what is it?  Where am I going to get it?  Because it seems necessary for the Christian to have it.  David, in Psalm 4, says God is his righteousness.  How can that be?  I thought what I did made me righteous.  And that is where I would have made the mistake.  The Old Testament law established the sacrifices.  There were a whole slew of them, but the most important was the one for atonement, once a year in the temple.  God made Himself visible in a glorious ball of light and hovered over the Mercy Seat.  Beneath the Mercy Seat was the Ark of the Covenant which held Aaron' rod that budded in the wilderness, some manna, and the Ten Commandments.  All of these were symbols of the law and the inability of the people to actually keep it.  When the blood of a perfect lamb was sprinkled between the light of God and the Mercy Seat, God would see the blood sacrifice and deem Israel clean again.  Seems harsh, but so is sin.  Read the Old Testament again and see what kinds of things these people were doing all year.  Someone/something had to  pay for that.  A perfect lamb.

In Bethlehem, in Judea, a Child was born in a manger one night.  Born to a virgin as the Old Testament had promised.  He lay with the lambs.  He was perfect and remained so until His sacrificial death on a cross thirty-three years later.  Someone had to pay.  This Lamb paid once and for all for my sinful choices.  He made me right with God.  He is my righteousness.  I have none on my own.  I know me.  I need Him.

So then why is it that I even try to be a good Christian?  Couldn't I just go do anything I want if it is Jesus who makes me right with God?  I could, actually.  I have.  But not for long.  Because I really love the One Who gave Himself for me.  I wear His righteousness and want to make Him proud that He robed me so.  Righteousness is still about motive, then.  Why am I serving God?  For man to see?  Or for His eyes only.