Righteousness - The Right To Be Delivered From Trouble

Psalm 18:24 "Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight."

Hopefully, by now I've convinced you that you're clean and righteous in the sight of God. By this point - if you've been paying attention, you should be able to say without any doubt, "I am a righteous person - the Bible says so."

If you've come to this point, then the next step is to boldly declare, "God will reward me according to my righteousness!"

Rest assured of this, my friend: The righteousness that you received by faith will bring you results here on earth! There are a list of "rights" in the Bible that you now have access to because of your righteousness. These are benefits and blessings that are promised to those who have met the conditions...conditions that have now been fulfilled by our right-standing with God!

Let's take a look at the first right that is given to the righteous (which includes you!)
"The righteous cry out and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles." -Psalm 34:17
Because of the righteousness of God that you received by faith, you now have the right to expect deliverance from every trouble!

The First Mention of Righteousness

Do you know when the word "righteous" is first used in Scripture? You can find this in Genesis 7:1 as God spoke to Noah: "Then the LORD said to Noah, 'Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.'"

(Remember why Noah was found righteous! We see this in Genesis 6:8. "Noah found grace in the sight of the LORD." Noah was made right with God the same way you and I are - by grace through faith. This is the only way that anyone has been declared righteous.)

Now notice the result of Noah's righteousness: He was delivered from the flood. The very first benefit of being right with God is deliverance from all trouble and danger! (Actually, this same benefit also applies to your family too! We can see this in the phrase 'and your household' - Noah had a right to expect safety for his family, as well as himself!)

Deliverance - both for self and for family - is a right that belongs to the righteous! This right to deliverance doesn't depend on your strength, your intelligence, or even your behavior. No, it's a divine safety that ensured by God Himself.

Proverbs 11:21 "Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; but the posterity of the righteous will be delivered."

My brother, my sister; When God gave you the gift of His righteousness, He gave you and your family the right to expect supernatural protection and rescue from trouble.

No Grave Trouble

"No grave trouble will overtake the righteous..." - Proverbs 12:21

The Hebrew word used here (translated as "grave trouble") is "aven".

This carries the meaning of a trouble or danger that someone has desperately tried to avoid and/or escap. But, despite working themselves to the point of exhaustion, the grip of that trouble remains as strong as ever - crushing them to pieces. 

We've all felt the pressure of this kind of trouble. It's overwhelming. It's breathtaking. It's even life-draining. It's a heavy pressure so strong, you don't know if you can bear it another minute. When this kind of trouble comes, it paralyzes us - without any way of getting free from it.

And this kind of trouble is something you (and everyone in your family) have a right to be delivered from! You may be in a rough time right now:

   You may be under financial pressure

   You may be under the assault of sickness

   Your family member may be in the grip of addiction

   You may actually be in a physically threatening situation

But you can expect deliverance! Why? Because your righteousness give you the right to it!

Let me close with the way that we activate this right. Let's go back to Psalm 34:17, "The righteous cry out and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles."

Are you righteous? Then expect this! Use your faith and cry out to the LORD - expecting Him to do what He said! 

You have a right to be trouble-free - both you personally, and everyone in your household!