Welcome, sweet folk! It’s Friday and hopefully you’ll find some time today to slow down, pour a mug full of whatever you love and rejoice with me in our Lord.

God is so good.

Often, I itch under the thought that I cannot earn anything for myself spiritually. I have a natural, fleshly, tempting desire to earn for myself the things that matter; maybe it is my American heritage (the you can do/be anything you set your mind to thinking) or maybe it is simply a human problem.

Can you relate? Have you ever wished you could be your own savior?

If you can relate I also hope you can relate to the goodness of our Righteous Judge and His convicting you of the truth, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  There is no way I can earn the freedom from sin I need or the redemption my heart craves. It is given and it takes a heart of faith to accept it.

Today I read Paul’s words,  “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”  Paul, after acknowledging that he had run the race of life faithfully, says he will receive a reward, a crown of righteousness. But he does not stop there. He directly writes that he will receive the crown from the Lord, the righteous judge. He is given righteousness by the very Person of righteousness.

Most importantly, Paul’s reward was not to be given because he had lived a life full of good, spiritual works but for the same reason you and I can be given a crown: for loving the appearing of the Lord.

Paul lived life faithfully because he loved his Lord and that relationship was enough to grant him a reward.

Because righteousness isn’t about who we are and our accomplishments — righteousness is about living a life full of good works because we love our Righteous Judge. We have a relationship, which was first pursued by our Maker, and because of that we can live righteously and be blessed in the end because of it.

I don’t know about you but that makes my competitive, eager little heart be at rest. I don’t need to earn anything; with Jesus’ redeeming word I already am a new creature in Him and I already am founded in righteousness.

At the end of our lives our Righteous Judge wants, Who has already given so much, wants to give more in the form of a crown. He is that good and that kind.

Doesn’t that make your weekend a little more exciting?

With lots of love, blessings and coffee,

Frannie