Psalm 106:30 But Phinehas had the courage to intervene, and the plague was stopped. (31) So he has been regarded as a righteous man ever since that time.

It takes a lot of courage to live right. Numbers 25:5 So Moses ordered Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor." (6) Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle. (7) When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear (8) and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man's body and into the woman's stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, (9) but not before 24,000 people had died. 24,000 people had to die before one man stood, with courage, for what was right. Phinehas was the grandson of Aaron. He had watched his grandfather make the golden calf when Moses was on Mt. Sinai with GOD. He had seen what his uncle did when he came down off that mountain with those stone tablets under his arms. He had watched both righteousness and unrighteousness at work in the hearts of his own family and Phinehas had to make a decision in his own life which one to serve. When the time came to make that decision he did not hesitate to pick up the spear and thrust it through the heart of that man and woman who were defiling the name of his God. The plague was stopped. Yes. But the plague should never of had to been started in the first place if the people of Israel would have all had the same courage as Phinehas.

People want the easy way instead of the right way. It is easy to give in to your own desires and be a part of the feel good generation. We have been brought up with the words “ If it feels good do it. “ The we are free to do whatever we want type attitude is prevalent in our society today. People, longing for satisfaction, can't get no satisfaction just like the Rolling Stones song says because they are trying to satisfy something in them that only their creator can satisfy. We try the sex, drugs and rock and roll bit and it will bring a temporary fix. But then we just keep longing more and more for something this world can not give us. Peace. Isaiah 57:20 "But those who still reject Me are like the restless sea, which is never still but continually churns up mud and dirt.(21)There is no peace for the wicked," says my God. People are continually churned up inside of themselves because they fill their hearts with all of the wrong things and they end up filled with wickedness rather than the peace of righteousness. It takes courage to do what is right when the world continually wants to lead you into its churned up swells of mud and dirt. The Word of God speaks clearly in to the heart of a man or woman who chooses to do what is right. But when a person is riding on a restless sea being tossed around in all of the mud and dirt of this world they become blinded entombing themselves in the graveyard of wickedness.

James 4:7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (8) Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. (9) Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. (10) Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor. Phinehas received a great honor for taking a stand for what was right. Numbers 25:12 Now tell him that I am making My special covenant of peace with him. (13) In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for Me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with Me. " Through this act of righteousness, Phinehas, established the destiny of his descendants. A permanent right to the priesthood. Jesus did what was right when He went to the cross for our sins and when He did that He set up the way for us to be His descendants for ever. Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song with these words: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For You were slaughtered, and Your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. (10) And You have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth." But it takes courage to stand for Jesus. It takes a courageous soul to wash off the cake of mud and dirt this world has covered you with and to wear the white robes of righteousness given to you by Jesus. It takes courage to say no to sin and yes to what is right , especially when we live in a world that everything is right in their own eyes. But Jesus said “ All things are possible if we believe.” God is wanting His righteousness to shine in and through His people, will you allow that to happen in your life today or will you live your life in muddy waters? The choice is yours.