Forever Grateful: Thank the Lord for His Righteousness

“I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness,
and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.”
—Psalm 7:17

"Thank the Lord for His righteousness."
That’s a simple, powerful reminder—especially when we start to forget where true righteousness comes from.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking we’ve earned our goodness, like we’re standing on our own merit. Our human nature often wants the credit. But when we start believing we’re self-sufficient, gratitude fades—and pride quietly takes its place.

The truth is, any righteousness we think we have apart from God is like a shadow compared to His perfect, unchanging nature. That’s why we must always come back to this truth: our righteousness comes from Him alone.

When My Heart Longed for Justice

Since childhood, I’ve felt a deep fire in my heart to protect—to speak up for those being mistreated, to defend the ones overlooked. What began with defending family and friends grew into a passion for standing up for the hurting and misunderstood.

But if I’m honest, that desire to protect came from a personal longing—to feel protected myself. I wanted someone to fight for me the way I was eager to fight for others.

Looking back, I can see how flawed my sense of justice was at times. I didn’t always get it right. Sometimes I rushed to defend those who didn’t deserve it. Sometimes I tried to be the hero when I needed a Savior.

And thank God, that’s when He stepped in.

A Righteous Defender Like No Other

Over the years, God has taught me something life-changing: I don’t have to rely on my own imperfect sense of right and wrong. His righteousness is far greater than mine—and it never fails.

When I think about His righteousness, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. I don’t have to carry the weight of being right all the time. I don’t have to be my own defender. God’s justice is flawless. His mercy is rich. And He is both my righteous Judge and loving Savior.

“Declare and bring it forth;
Yes, let them take counsel together.
Who has announced this from ancient time?
Who has told it from that time?
Have not I, the Lord?
And there is no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a Savior;
There is none besides Me.” —Isaiah 45:21

When life feels uncertain—when doubt creeps in or chaos surrounds me—I find rest in this truth: It’s His righteousness that matters most. Not mine. And through faith in Jesus, I’ve been made righteous—not because I earned it, but because He gave it.

What a gift. What a Savior.