https://esv.literalword.com/?q=psalm+7
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Sunday, 18 February 2024:
Psalm 7:1 — O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge….
If the Lord is your refuge, what have your to fear? Taking refuge in the Lord involves both trusting Him and obeying Him. Of course, we do neither perfectly. So one of the main reasons our Perfectly Loving Sovereign Father gives us trials is to teach us to trust and obey.
Psalm 7:8 — The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.
At first glance, this verse may seem to imply that the psalmist thinks he is self-righteously overconfident in his integrity as if he thinks he has done no wrong. However, we know from our readings across the Psalms this is not the case. Rather, the psalmist is seeking God’s revelation to expose the flaws he cannot see in himself. Recognizing the importance of God’s protection against evil and evil doers, the suffering which comes from sin, and that God is the Ultimate Judge of all people, the psalmist humbly asks God to judge his righteousness, to assess his character, actions, and integrity, and to reveal to the psalmist where he might be at fault too; he is demonstrating a humble and sincere heart that seeks alignment with God’s standards. This verse reminds us that ask God to free us from the pain which comes from the unrighteousness of others, we can also trust God with our unrighteousness. We can trust Him in our repentance, and we can trust Him with the consequences of the sins we know we have committed. His grace far exceeds our guilt. Also, as we learn to trust Him by humbly laying our sins before Him and receiving His forgiveness, we increasingly learn to forgive those who sin against us, even though they keep doing it, just like we keep sinning against God.
Psalm 7:9 – 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!
God knows your mind and heart, and He uses circumstances to reveal your mind and heart to you. He knows your heart and knows you don’t. You can’t fix what you can’t see or what you are not willing to be honest about. For example, your spontaneous fits of anger, in the light of God’s word, are God’s revelation to you that your heart is not right. So, what are you going to do about it?
Psalm 7:11-13 – God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.
The Bible is a double-edged sword of Good News and Bad News. (Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:16) To really appreciate the Good News of the Gospel, we must understand the Bad News. The Gospel declares salvation, entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and eternal life for all who repent and trust in Christ alone for salvation (John 3:16, 35–36; Acts 2:38–39) – this is the Good News. But the flip side is the Bad News – the wrathful judgment of God and eternal damnation for all those who do not repent from their sin and trust in Jesus. Today, most people, even many professing Christians reject the notion that God would condemn apparently good people who don’t believe in Jesus, accepting the popular notion that there are many paths to heaven. Believing in salvation through Jesus Christ alone is considered narrow-minded and bigoted. However, Jesus is very clear — “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Only Jesus can save us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10) The following link provides 100 Bible verses concerning the exclusivity of Christ for salvation — https://www.openbible.info/topics/jesus_being_the_only_way
- Acts 4:12 — And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Psalm 7:12 – If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow.
The first word of Jesus’ message was “Repent.”
The message hasn’t changed, though fewer and fewer churches are proclaiming it.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 18 February 2024: Today consider deeply the true motives behind your actions. Are your motives love for the Lord and for others, or for self? Pray that God will help you become the embodiment of His word, the embodiment of true love.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 