My One Defense, My Righteousness

This past Sunday, we sang an old hymn…one of my favorites. “O God how I need you, every hour I need you…”

Reminds me of when I was a child and my nanny would take me to First Baptist of Porter, TX, where Brother Moore would call out the number from the Hymnal. I’d rush as fast as I could to find the song. My nanny would play the piano for the congregation and I’d proudly stand up front, swaying and dancing. My patent leather shoes shining, lacey socks brimming over the mary janes. The bell on my petticoat jingling as I proudly sang along to every song. But I digress…

This hymn is an old fall back for me. Because I find myself singing it in my mind (and many times out loud) all the time. Every hour, I DO need the Lord to help me do this job. Every hour I am all too aware of my short-comings and failures. And my favorite line in the entire song says,

“My one defense, my righteousness…O God how I need you…”

That line should make us all stop and praise Jesus. He is our one defense. He is our righteousness.

When we lose our cool with our family, and our conscience condemns us, He is our defense.

When we think God obviously made a mistake in thinking we could do this job, He is our strength.

When bedtime finally comes and we can’t stop replaying all the mistakes we made as a mom or dad that day…He is our righteousness.

He became sin on that cross so we could become righteous. He is our defense against an enemy that accuses us in front of God, in our consciences— stealing our boldness. Jesus is the answer to every wrong that comes haunting us, robbing us of today’s joy, today’s blessings, and of faith in all of God’s promises.

His righteousness defends us against every fault and failure. And this hymn reminds me consistently that our righteousness is NOT in ourselves or our behavior…it is in a person named Jesus. And when we rest in this truth, our souls stop striving and our response out of love is a far better heart attitude, far better behavior, and a far better witness to those around us.

Thank you sweet Jesus for being the only defense we’ll ever need and for consistently making us righteous in the sight of our loving heavenly Father.