#DailyDevotion Look To The LORD For Righteousness, Justice & Kindness
Psalm 36 6Your righteousness is like God’s mountains; Your justice like the deep ocean. You save men and animals, O LORD.
The righteousness of the LORD is like His mountains. It is majestic, awe inspiring and firm. On the one hand it judges the world and man as it is the measurement of our righteousness. On the other hand it saves us from our unrighteousness as it moves the LORD to have mercy on us jars of clay.
His justice is like a deep ocean. Like the LORD’s righteousness is too is a double edge sword. He lets no one get away with anything. By exacting it on His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross, He saves men and animals. It is too deep for us and unsearchable.
7How precious is Your kindness, O God. People come for shelter under the shadow of Your wings;
Mercy, graciousness and kindness are attributes of God’s name. His kindness is particularly precious because on our part it is undeserved. Yet because of the LORD’s nature people come to Him for shelter under the shadow of His wings. I think this imagery of wings probably goes back to the time in the wilderness where the LORD prevented His people from being overcome by the sun. Elsewhere, He compares Himself to a mother hen who covers her chicks with her wings. Anyone who turns to the LORD for salvation and help will not be disappointed.
8they are satisfied with rich foods at Your house, and You let them drink from Your river of delights. 9With You is the spring of life, and in Your light we shall see light.
Those who turn to the LORD for shelter will be satisfied with rich foods at the LORD’s house and will drink from the river of delights, the Water of Life. When we gather together at the LORD’s House, that is to say, when we gather in Jesus’ name together, He shares with us His body and blood, the New Testament. There is no richer food than that no more delightful drink, as this meal declares us to be His people and He our God. Here, we are reminded He has forgiven our sins and remembers them no more, as we receive His forgiveness in partaking of it. Here, He gives us His Holy Spirit, His instruction into our hearts and by the power of the Holy Spirit we carry it out in our lives.
10Keep on being kind to those who know You and show yourself righteous to those whose heart is right.
Who knows the LORD but those who trust in Jesus, in His mercy, kindness, graciousness and stead-fast love. Those who live by the forgiveness of their sins. To these we ask the LORD to continue to show His kindness. We ask Him to show Himself righteous to those whose heart is right? Whose heart is right but those who believe they are forgiven of their sins for Jesus’ sake and forgive others their sins against them. We need His kindness every day. We demonstrate this need by praying the prayer Jesus taught us, the LORD’s Prayer or the Our Father. In these we ask the LORD for everything we need for this world and the next.
Heavenly Father, grant us faith that we may know Your righteousness, Your justice, and Your kindness from this time forth and forevermore. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.