Devine View

“But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Those who know your name” jumped out at me. This doesn’t just mean to hear His name spoken and be familiar with it; rather, it means to know His character & personality.

Once you know Him, it is natural to trust Him, just as a child learns to trust a loving parent through experience.

How well do you know Him?

“Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭25‬-‭26‬

Fear and outrage are sold to us everyday, and we pay with our attention.

Instead, listen to the Voice of Truth. 📖

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Psalm‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The recipe for success is remarkably simple, though quite challenging to live by.

1. Know what wickedness and sinfulness are.

2. Don’t be close with people who promote them.

3. Immerse yourself in the teachings of God.

“And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of Lords.”
Revelation 19:14-16

When Jesus returns, we see the meaning of the universe being upheld by the “word of His power.”(Ref. Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:17)

He does not merely bend reality to His will; reality emanates from His will as it is reflected in the words He speaks. When words exit his mouth, reality it not just obeying, it is shaping according to what He says. Therefore, when He ends the lives of His enemies, he does not to use objects or weapons. He merely speaks His will that their lives end and it happens because He sustained their lives all along. He gives breath to the just and the unjust, until this day when He decides not to provide it to the unjust any longer.

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
Revelation 14:6-7

All the way to the very end, God is extending mercy and grace—an outstretched arm in the middle of chaos and death. He knows the world is crumbling, and he sends angels to remind people they can believe and trust Jesus today! We can be that same messenger today in our broken world! I can be; and I should.

The Gospel is meant to be proclaimed.

Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬-‭3‬

And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬

Whatever we are hiding is not hidden.

“And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭31‬-‭32‬

At first glance this seems like Jesus is saying that there are righteous people who do not need His salvation, but there is another layer to His words. Scripture cannot contradict itself, and the whole of God’s Word says that mankind is hopelessly lost in sin and bound for eternal destruction and punishment as a result. There are no righteous humans except Jesus himself; so, why does Jesus say this?

Below the surface, Jesus reveals truth to those who know Scripture and are submitted to its teachings while simultaneously concealing truth from self-righteous people who think they are “good enough” to gain God’s approval. In their self-deception, they conclude they are the very people that don’t need Jesus because of their righteousness, yet Jesus is actually saying that He is called to speak to those who know they are not good enough—the “sick” who know they are in need of saving. To the self-sufficient, He speaks very little or not at all; He is not calling those who have already chosen not to listen!

Beware of self-righteousness!

“For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness… and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬, ‭11‬-‭12‬

God does not call most believers to reshape nations or navigate global conflicts, but He has called all believers to live holy, humble, hard-working lives. God may call us to something “big,” but we should be prepared to live “quietly” and serve the sphere of influence He has given, regardless of its size.

“Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James‬ ‭5‬:‭9‬, ‭16‬

These are clear, practical instructions on how to obey God and have a life of joy and peace. Do not complain about people, forgive them, pray for them, and be willing to confess your own faults and failures. Having the humility to do this will open up your heart to the love of God, which empowers you to accomplish the rest.

Am I humble and forgiving?

Or am I judging, criticizing, and defending my own sin?

It’s not both.

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”
James‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬

It is easy, simple, and automatic for us to adopt the wisdom of the world because it aligns with our sinful desires—to be proud, judgmental, critical, harsh, jealous, angry, rude, ungrateful, indecent, and selfish. And after we adopt such wisdom, we often justify it using misrepresented portions of Scripture or religious tradition.

Yet God reminds us that His wisdom operates differently. It prioritizes purity and holiness above all; it aims for peace, not victory; it cares for relationships above reputation or image; and it shows impartial mercy to all people, especially those who are undeserving. It goes directly against our fleshly passions! Yet this is the wisdom that leads to life and unity with God.

Which will I choose today?