by Bible League International

Verse of the Day and Devotion

So that men will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely He is God who judges in the earth."  - Psalm 58:11 NKJV

Devotion

Our verse for today assumes something about the world that we live in. It assumes that there is a moral order to the world. Over and above the affairs of human beings there is a moral order established by God. Furthermore, He governs everything that we say and do according to that order. The world, to put it another way, does not exist in isolated independence. It is not only a world dependent upon God for its very existence, but it is also a world governed by Him in every respect. Nothing is left to chance. Fate has no say in what happens. The Lord governs the affairs of human beings.

This means, among other things, that God judges what happens on earth. The wicked can't just do whatever they want to do, however sinful and evil, and expect to get away with it. They can't rob, cheat, steal, murder, betray, etc. and expect no consequences for their actions. It's not up to them. Their fate doesn't depend upon their skillfulness and savvy in the avoidance of a just comeuppance. Sooner or later, God will see to it that the moral order is satisfied. Sooner or later, justice and fairness will be meted out by the one that has established the moral order.

It also means that there is a reward for the righteous. The moral order of God is not just a standard by which to judge the wicked. It is also a standard by which to reward the righteous. True, no one in this dispensation lives in sinless perfection. Nevertheless, the righteous, that is, those in right-standing before God, are rewarded by Him for their righteousness. It pays, in other words, to be on the good side of God. Sooner or later, the righteous will reap the benefits of their good deeds. Sooner or later, the favor and advantage they receive from God will be clear for all to see.

Don't deceive yourself into thinking anything different. Don't deceive yourself into thinking that there is no moral order and that there is no judgement or reward. Instead, accept what the Apostle Paul says:

"For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." (I Timothy 4:8)