“God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation every day.” (Psalm 7:11)

In spite of how men may treat God, He does not answer their onslaught in kind. The righteousness of God does not allow anything beyond righteous judgment. This does not mean that God ignores insult or sin. God is a loving and forgiving God, but He is also a righteous God. We understand from the scriptures that God is merciful and kind. We know Him to be longsuffering, not wanting anyone to be lost but giving every sinner an opportunity to change and repent. In Psalm 51, David’s lament over his own sin, the psalmist states in verse 17, “… a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

God’s reaction to us is not affected by the affront He feels every day from a world who has rejected Him. His actions toward us are not taken in retaliation for the sins of man. God is a righteous judge and thus judges fairly. But, God is more than that, He is more than righteous because His righteousness is governed by love and mercy. We don’t receive what we deserve even from a righteous judge. We are forgiven. We are forgiven. God has forgiven our sins by giving them to Jesus. What a debt we owe; an unpayable debt. We don’t get what we deserve, Jesus got that. We get the gift of grace. In spite of our sinful way, we are forgiven. In spite of our wrongdoing, we are washed white.

One of the greatest statements in the New Testament is “There is, therefore, no condemnation for sin.” Washed in the blood, I’m free of sin. David was happy with a righteous judgment, but we get mercy and grace.

Task for Today: Thank God for His unspeakable gift, salvation at the cost of His Son. Don’t look just in your own mirror where you will see a sinner but in God’s eyes where you will see a clean heart, a clean soul, a clean slate.