THE full MEASURE

This morning I am reading Romans 1. I've been reading Romans 1 for a week and I still can't get past verse 17. I stop there, chew on it, try to go on, but my eyes keep going back: the righteousness of God is revealed by faith for faith. It seems easy, God owns all the righteousness the world can hold, and reveals it to us when we approach with faith, asking for more faith.

But I'll be honest, friends, I rarely ask for more faith. Mostly I ask for more righteousness. I want to be better or holier or more long-suffering or more disciplined. And the thing is, I ask with faith that I'll become those things.

Paul's saying, though, that it's the righteousness of God that is revealed when we ask for more of our own faith. Hear that? Instead of just filling our faith-cup up a notch or two, what is really given is more of His righteousness?

And this morning I love that. I really, really love that. Nothing tunes my heart with His more than seeing His perfection more clearly. Nothing rights my soul more than trusting in His goodness. Nothing upsets my idolatry more than knowing His holiness. Nothing gives me more faith than knowing He has a limitless supply of every good and perfect gift.