(Psalm 58:1-11) Do you indeed speak righteousness, you gods?
Do you judge fairly, you sons of mankind?2 No, in heart you practice injustice;
On earth you clear a way for the violence of your hands.
3 The wicked have turned away from the womb;
These who speak lies go astray from birth.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent;
Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
5 So that it does not hear the voice of charmers,
Or a skillful caster of spells.
6 God, shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, Lord.
7 May they flow away like water that runs off;
When he aims his arrows, may they be as headless shafts.
8 May they be like a snail which goes along in slime,
Like the miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the fire of thorns
He will sweep them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.
10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees vengeance;
He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And people will say, “There certainly is a reward for the righteous;
There certainly is a God who judges on the earth!”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
While a lot of people will acknowledge that there is a God, they prefer to see Him only as a God of love - a god created in their own image - according to how they feel and imagine. Although, people will then often say, "If there is a loving God, how can He allow such horrible things to happen?"
There are a few things we need to understand in order to answer this question. First of all, the God of love will not force anyone to love Him back, therefore He created us with a free will. What is free will without options? And what are options without some freedom to act upon them?
Even though people are born into sin, and choose to live in sin - God still loves everyone unconditionally. God even came in flesh to suffer and die, paying the cost for all sin, for all people, of all time... whether they accept Him or not. Therefore, God's love does not and cannot include or incorporate "acceptance" or "tolerance".
In all of this, it is imperative to understand that love is not God's only attribute. Very simply, God will one day judge everyone. Because He is truth, righteous, holy and all-knowing, He is just and fair. Those people who are unbelievers will be punished according to their sins. These are the people who have rejected Jesus and His free gift of forgiveness and salvation.
Those people who have accepted Jesus' forgiveness and salvation, will be judged and rewarded for the good deeds they have done with right motives. Therefore, whatever we do, we should ask Jesus to help us do them with His love, strength and righteousness. And although there are challenges (tests and trials) that we go through, we can know the peace and joy of the Lord, right now. As well, we can be confident in knowing that one day, the Lord will bring true peace and justice, and all things will be set right.
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