Mind Meld of A Different Kind

PSALM 7:10-17
God is my shield,

saving those whose hearts are true and right.

God is an honest judge.

He is angry with the wicked every day.
If a person does not repent,

God will sharpen his sword;

he will bend and string his bow.

He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows.

The wicked conceive evil;

they are pregnant with trouble

and give birth to lies.

They dig a deep pit to trap others,

then fall into it themselves.

The trouble they make for others backfires on them.

The violence they plan falls on their own heads.

I will thank the Lord because he is just;

I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

An ugly pregnancy
The sight of a pregnant woman is wonderful - the mystery of life developing right before our eyes. But, then, I’m a guy and don’t have to carry the little bugger for 9 months!

Sadly, some mothers (and fathers) bestow children on the world who grow to become men and women who add the adversity of the world; who cause the planet to exist in a constant state turmoil. “Pregnant with trouble,” some place in the world gives birth to new rounds of death and destruction every day.

God did answer David’s prayer and arise with fury against such troublemakers. He did it in a strange fashion, though. He sharpened his sword against evil men and women and thrust it into his innocent Son. He answered evil decisively by refusing to be a shield of protection for himself. Allowing the evil ones to hang him on a Roman cross, he broke their power and stranglehold on the world.

A strange answer to an ugly pregnancy. Anger taken out on his Son. Deadly weapons forged for evil people, unleashed against an innocent man. Such is God’s ultimate plan to destroy evil. He aborts it by absorbing the brunt of it into himself.

Strange God, whose ways are weird, forbid that I would add to the evil waiting to burst out in my part of the world. I want to be made righteous by you. Prevent me from making any decision that would feed the flames of hell. May my life, lived in you, be a song that pierces evil with the death blow of love. - Mike Leamon

Let Justice flow
Justice is a strong word. We look for justice against our enemies when we are wronged. Recently in Rochester NY a social worker was killed by two teens. One teen pled out and received 20 years for armed robbery in exchange for his testimony against the other teen in the murder case. The second teen was found not guilty of the murder but guilty of the robbery. The judge gave him 25 years but the community was outraged. Where was the justice for the social worker and his family?

In many of our churches we speak strongly about the grace of God and thankfully so. At times it might be good for us to speak of God’s justice. Not so much in an attempt to vindicate ourselves and scare others straight but as a reminder of how God deals with sin. Sin cannot be tolerated in the presence of God. Where there is sin, punishment will be meted out.

We cannot understand the fullness of grace apart from the justice of God. Were God crooked, or willing to overlook even the slightest of sins, grace would be cheapened. Yet how often do we sin so that grace may abound? Paul abhorred such whimsical attitudes towards the grace of God. Look at the stories of God’s justice being delivered in the OT and you will discover a newfound appreciation for the grace we live in through Jesus Christ. Praise God He is just which makes His grace so rich and free.

Jesus, I want to give you thanks for taking my penalty on yourself in the cross. Thank you for taking the wrath of God in my place ensuring God’s justice was met but sparing me the sentence of death I deserve. You are a wonderful Savior and I cannot thank you enough. - Dan Jones