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Illustration for Psalm 7: God Is a Righteous Judge

Psalm 7

God Is a Righteous Judge

When AfraidComfortWisdom

David is being chased by someone who wants to hurt him, so he runs to God for protection. He knows that God is a fair judge who sees everything. God will protect people who are innocent and treat everyone justly.

  1. 1O LORD my God, I take refuge in You; save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
  2. 2or they will tear me like a lion and rip me apart, with no one to rescue me.
  3. 3O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice on my hands—
  4. 4if I have repaid my ally with evil or plundered my foe without cause—
  5. 5then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and lay my honor in the dust. Selah
  6. 6Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; lift Yourself up against the fury of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice.
  7. 7Let the assembly of peoples gather around You; over them take Your seat on high.
  8. 8The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity.
  9. 9O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; for the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
  10. 10My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.
  11. 11God is a righteous judge, and a God who is angry with the wicked every day.
  12. 12If he does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has bent and strung His bow.
  13. 13He has prepared His deadly weapons; He makes His arrows into flaming shafts.
  14. 14Behold, the wicked man conceives evil; he is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.
  15. 15He digs a pit and scoops it out, and falls into the hole he has made.
  16. 16His mischief will return on his own head; his violence will come down on his own scalp.
  17. 17I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness and sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

What it means

When someone treats us unfairly, we don't have to take revenge — we can bring it to God, the perfect Judge who sees everything. He defends those who run to Him and always does what is right.

A little prayer

Lord, when people are unfair to me, help me to run to You instead of fighting back. You are a fair Judge who sees everything. I take refuge in You — please defend me. Amen.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)