January 27, 2012 Wonderful Right Gift

Read Psalms 1-7 A Wonderful Right Gift Ps 7:11 God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. KIND OF a scary verse, isn’t it? Aren’t the psalms all about peace, comfort and strength in God? Actually, they’re about those things and much more. The Psalms show in poetic strength the vast truth of God who created perfection and now seeks to restore his broken world into his perfection. In this purpose he does comfort, strengthen and bring peace to our lives. He also demands we are perfect before him. How do we get perfect? Only in God’s mercy is it possible to escape the wrath described here. Many people who say they believe in God think that “being as good as I can be” is good enough to go to Heaven some day. Don’t believe it. The only one who is “right” is God, “a righteous judge…who expresses his wrath every day.” We can only escape the wrath, when we are right before him. Do you see the connection between “right” and “wrath”? The smallest virus can cause deadly diseases. A small black mark on a brand-new white shirt can make the shirt useless. The slightest sin makes God’s righteousness wrong. Perfect right cannot accept any amount of wrong. But the psalmist knew something very wonderful. God’s wrath leads to hope! Yes, when we understand God cannot tolerate our errors, we turn to the pure solution, the blood of Jesus. In God’s mercy, we become right with God when we understand our own good is not good enough. (1 Thess 5:9-10 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.) It’s True! This wonderful gift God is for you!