Just and Righteous

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 7:17}

In order to give the Lord thanks in honour of his righteousness, we must first believe that he is righteous. Your immediate reaction will probably be “absolutely; of course He is righteous.” Yet, there are times when images flood our screens of devastation, destruction and despair, and the question is asked: “Where is God in all of this?”

In this psalm, David refers to the Lord as a righteous God, and declares that ‘God is a righteous judge’. Through our blinkered view, we do wonder at times, where the justice is, and we long for judgement to take place sooner rather than later. In effect, this questions God’s righteousness.

David took a different position. He himself was the one in the middle of a desperate situation. He wanted the Lord to deliver him from it, but before he lays everything on God’s shoulders, he turns the focus toward himself:

“O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, let the enemy pursue my soul, and lay my glory in the dust. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness…” _{vs 3,5,8}

David had such clarity of who God was, and he understood that he was in no position to question God’s righteousness, if he wasn’t prepared to place his own on the line. People often want God to show up and deal out retribution before acknowledging any part that their own actions may have played. David was willing to take responsibility and he knew that, one way or another, justice would take place, for he says,

“You have appointed a judgment… you who test the minds and hearts… who saves the upright in heart.” _{vs 6,9,10}

God is righteous and he always acts in faithfulness to his own integrity and sovereign nature. The scales of justice are not locked away, they are ready for the appointed time.

God’s righteousness is to be trusted, honoured and acknowledged with thankfulness, and praise to the name of the Lord Most High.