Psalm 5:12 Surely Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with Your favor as with a shield. (NIV)

I have always had a hard time believing that this could be for me.  (And the many verses like it). I wanted the blessings of God, but my own righteousness was far too little, if existent at all. Worse, sometimes the better I tried to be, the more unworthy I thought I was becoming.

But… there is a solution.  In Romans 3:22 we are told, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all  who believe.”

This is not a license to licentiousness nor an invitation to immorality; and not an evocation to do evil.

Jesus told the woman caught in adultery (the woman where Jesus said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone), to “Sin no more,”  Paul wrote to the Philippians to “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling”.

God knows that it is impossible for us to be completely spotless, so He has made a Way for us.  He has given us an opportunity to not be held accountable for eternity for our wrong doings. We cannot earn it, but we can try anew to do our best to live a life pleasing to God with a grateful heart.