April 8
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THE RIGHTEOUS GOD
8 The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness
And according to the integrity that is in me.
9 Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous—
You who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! 10 My shield is with God,
Who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge,
And a God who feels indignation every day.12 If a man does not repent,
God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;
13 He has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief
And gives birth to lies.15 He makes a pit, digging it out,
And falls into the hole that he has made.16 His mischief returns upon his own head,
And on his own skull his violence descends.
17 I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,
And I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High. – Psalm 7:8-17
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In this psalm of David, he emphasizes how God is a righteous God. He judges people according to their integrity. The Lord is the only one who knows everything. He knows what we are thinking even before we think of it. He sees our hearts and every intention we have is never hidden from him. This psalm gives us a reminder how to live righteously so that we do not have to contend with the consequences of wrong choices and actions. If we love the Lord, we will do what is right and true. We will give him glory for being a just judge and a rewarder of good.
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ADORATION: Lord, you are worthy of praise and glory, you are righteous and just.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I fail to choose the right thing at times.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for your truth that keeps me in check with staying right.
SUPPLICATION: May all Christians never forget that all our actions have consequences and that we have a righteous judge who rewards good and punishes evil.
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REFLECTION
• Why do we have to remember that God hates evil and won’t allow it to thrive?
• Do you think it is fair to punish those who do evil? Why or Why not?