Day 79 (Year 2)
God’s Righteousness Brings Forth Healing
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” (Malachi 4:2 NASB)
“Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:43 NKJV)
Today’s first scripture tells us that the wings of God’s sun of righteousness carry healing power, given to those who fear Him. The word “fear” (yare’ in the Hebrew) also means “to be afraid, to tremble.” In the Old Testament, this word frequently describes an attitude of obeying God and His commands seriously. Those who fear God no longer fear anything else. Thus, such believers are well-positioned to benefit from His light. Furthermore, when we believe in and follow the righteous light of Jesus, we receive His healing, the evil darkness retreats, and we become stronger and children of God’s light. One characteristic of a spiritually strong believer’s life is bearing fruit of His righteousness.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus said that while there was light, they should believe in His light—and soon afterward, He hid Himself. This shows that the light God shines toward people can disappear in an instant. In contrast, for those who value God above all else, the radiance of His righteousness can shine as enduringly as the sun. Today’s first verse speaks of the wings of God’s righteous sun, referring to the powerful influence that flows from His great righteousness. The more earnestly we study and follow God’s righteousness, the more we can experience the power of His righteousness. Conversely, if someone believes that the righteousness of Jesus is merely something added on externally, they will have little intention to follow His righteousness from within and find it difficult to experience His healing power.
As the first scripture describes, those who receive the light of God’s righteousness are changed, as lively as skipping calves. So, we can see the righteousness gained through faith in Jesus genuinely transforms us from within. In other words, we who receive the healing power of God’s righteousness will find inner weakness becoming strength, filled with vitality, joy, and exuberance. Finally, both verses indicate that we who receive the rays of God’s righteousness will become His righteous people. In His kingdom, at the time He appoints, the righteous will shine like the sun with His radiance. Our lives are healed, and God’s righteousness may shine forth even more brilliantly. Yet in darkness, the light of the righteous may be hidden.
Reflection questions:
1) When you practice God’s righteousness, including dealing with your own problems, do you sense His healing coming upon you?
2) In the process of believing in Jesus, do you sense yourself gradually becoming righteous in His eyes and radiating His influence? If you find this difficult, where is the difficulty, and how can you rely on the Lord to resolve it?