Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Psalms 7:1-9
Ps 7:1-9
O LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me. O LORD my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands--if I have done evil to him who is at peace with me or without cause have robbed my foe--then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. Selah Arise, O LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God, decree justice. Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high; let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure.
Acts 23:1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.
1 Corinthians 4:4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
We have been told so much and so often that we are all sinners and that we all make mistakes, that somehow, we think it is blasphemy or self-righteousness if we admit that we are living right before God. As Paul said, a clear conscience does not necessarily make us right. Do we all sin? Yes, we have, and we do.
But we can “walk in the light as he [God] is in the light.” We can “walk in a manner worthy of his calling.” We are to live the best we can live and there is nothing wrong with admitting that we are living right and doing our best to be perfect in the sight of God. But a clear conscience does not make us right.
We don’t earn our standing with God. The only way we are right with God is by faith on our part and by grace on his part. It is by faith that we are counted as being righteous before him when by grace he forgives us. This is made possible by the sacrificial blood of Jesus on the cross. So, with a penitent attitude, we keep asking God to forgive us and the blood of Jesus continues to wash away our sin.
Heavenly Father I am so thankful for your grace and the forgiveness you provide to me by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. I know that my sin alone would have been enough that he would have had to die on that cross, but thankfully, his death makes salvation available to all of mankind. Lord, our nation is in a mess because we as a nation have turned from you as God. Give our leaders wisdom to do those things that would bring about peace for your people. Give your healing and your comfort to those who are sick and hurting. I pray in Jesus’ name.
Robert
