Devotional" Coping with Success - Day 2

Day 2: Not By Your Righteousness

Reading: Deuteronomy 9:1-6
Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven,
2 A people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak!
3 Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.
4 Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee.
5 Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
6 Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.

Devotional:
God makes it abundantly clear: you don't possess your inheritance because you're so righteous. Three times in these verses, He emphasizes this truth. We don't receive healing because we've been good enough. We don't experience joy because we followed all the rules. We've been made the righteousness of God in Christ—that's the only righteousness that matters. This is liberating! Your failures don't disqualify you, and your successes don't earn God's favor. Everything flows from what Christ has done, not what you've accomplished. Stop striving to be good enough and start resting in the finished work of Jesus. His righteousness is your standing before the Father.

Reflection Question:
In what areas am I still trying to earn God's blessings through my own righteousness?