Genesis 15:6

Verse of the Day: Genesis 15:6

“Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” – Genesis 15:6

Abram was told by God not to be afraid for He would shield Him.  Moreover, Abram would be given a great reward.  However, Abram responded to God with by asking “What will you give me, for I am childless, and my heir will be Eliezer my servant.  (In nomadic tribes, if a man was childless, his heir was his chief servant).  Then we read in verse 4, “Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.’”  Then He tells Abram that if He could count the stars, that would be the number of his descendants.

What is amazing about this story is that Abram was somewhere between 75 and 85 years old, while Sara would have been between 65 and 75 years old, long after the age of childbearing.  However, as we see in our focus verse, Abram believed God, and because he believed, God declared Abram righteous.

There are two things we can glean from this.  First, God can do anything no matter how impossible it may look to be.  If God promises us something, it will come to pass.  There is no doubt.  So, you can look at the promises of God throughout the scriptures and know that they can and will be done.   And second, this is a beautiful picture of the gospel.  If we truly believe that Christ died, was buried and then rose again for us, then our salvation is sure.  Note Jesus’ words in John’s gospel, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16  Do you truly believe?  If so, then God has declared you righteous.  Rejoice!

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Matthew 6:33

Verse of the Day: Matthew 6:33

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33

As Christians, we have no need to worry about the needs in our life.  This verse does not mean we will get everything we ‘want’, but everything we ‘need’.  This has nothing to do with the name it, claim it heresy. Look at the list in vs 25 and 31.  It deals with food, clothing and shelter.  These are really our only needs; food to eat, clothes to wear, and a place for shelter.

What Jesus is saying here is that if we truly, with everything that is in us, seek first His kingdom, His righteousness, His life, God will take care of meeting the above needs.  It is important that we understand that it may not be the way we would like it.  For instance, we may want and get a full meal, however, we may only get some bits and pieces of food.  But it is food and gives us what we need.  Also, we may want and get a new house, however, we may only get a small room or someplace to hang out with protection from the environment.  God will provide our absolute needs, but He will do it in the way that is best for us with the tasks He has for us to accomplish.

Be thankful for all His gifts, and all His provision.  Use all these things in your work for Him.  Do not compare yourself and what God provides with what others have.  If you have any food to eat, any clothes to wear, and anyplace to shelter yourself, you are blessed.  There are many people in the world who do not have anything at all.  Therefore, be thankful.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Matthew 5:10

Verse of the Day Devotion: Matthew 5:10

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:10

At first glance, to say that the persecuted Christians are blessed looks a bit odd.  In today’s mentality, to be blessed is too often seen as a current event.  “Wow, I am so blessed having received that check.”  Or “What a blessing my family is together for a week.”  Now, let me say that I am not implying these are not blessings, for they very well can be.  What I am saying is that even though we are going through incredibly difficult times, we are blessed because we know God is with us through it all.  And it is a great blessing that God never leaves us nor forsakes us.

Let’s look at the beatitudes, or the blessed found in Matthew.  First of all, lets look at the meaning of the word.  It is the Greek word ‘makarios’, pronounced mak-ar’-ee-os meaning ‘supremely blest or a state of supreme happiness’.  When we look at these verses, we see something interesting, Jesus is saying, “blessed are the … “present tense, “for theirs is the kingdom’ or “they shall” future tense.  He is saying that they are blessed not because great things are happening now, but great things are promised to them.  Note these phrases; ‘theirs is the kingdom of God’, ‘they SHALL be comforted’, ‘they SHALL inherit the earth’, ‘they SHALL be satisfied’, ‘they SHALL see God’, ‘they SHALL be called sons of God’, for your reward IN HEAVEN is great’.

Now, let’s look at the first part of our focus verse.  “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness”.  The idea of this phrase is those who have been or are currently being persecuted because of the Christ-like life that is lived in sight of all others, with no compromise.  Because of the light that you are, as stated in a later verse, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”.  Matthew 5:16. Jesus then goes deeper in the next two verses.  “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5:11-12.  Jesus is linking what happened to the prophets in the Old Testament to those persecuted for Christ’s sake. After all, they were persecuted for their righteousness and devotion to God. And how are we blessed for our persecution?  The Kingdom of Heaven is ours.  We are assured our home will be with God.  No matter what is done to us, if we stand strong and unrelenting, not giving an inch, we are blessed with a future eternal home with the one who died for us.

I want to encourage us all not to worry about what is happening to us now.  If we are insulted, attacked, falsely accused of evil or persecuted in any way, we must not focus on what is happening now, but to know we are blessed because of it.  We are not to provoke others to persecute us by violating the law or by our speech through purposefully antagonizing people.  If we live our lives as we should, it will no doubt happen.  And when it does, be strong and look to God for comfort.  They may wonder how we can stand against the persecution we are enduring.  It is because they have no idea just how blessed we truly are.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Romans 10:3

Verse of the Day Devotion: Romans 10:3

“For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” – Romans 10:3          

Paul is writing here to the Church in Rome, and he starts off here by declaring his love for the Jews.  “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.”  Romans 10:1-2 Paul very much desires that every Jew would be saved.  This is not the first time he states this.  “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,” Romans 9:1-3 Here, Paul shows how badly he wants this to happen.  He states that if it was possible, he would wish himself cursed if that would bring them to salvation.

Paul states in verse 2 of chapter 10 that the Jews do have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.  What does Paul mean by this?  It most likely means that they had a passion for God, but they did not recognize Christ as the Messiah.  They rejected Jesus as the promised one even though the Old Testament is full of prophesies regarding His coming.  They studied and followed the Levitical law; however, they never really knew God nor Christ as they should have.  They assumed that strictly following the law was what God desired.  However, if they had truly understood, they would not have relied on the law but in the coming Messiah.  “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5. Isaiah was speaking here of the coming Messiah.  He did not say the law saved them, it was the Messiah suffering and dying that brought about their salvation.

Since they did not understand this they relied on their own righteousness.  They endeavored to confirm or validate their own righteousness and make it the means by which they were justified; to make good their own claims to eternal life by their own merits.  They did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah because He did not act as they believed this Messiah would act, even though He fulfilled every prophesy about Him.  They thought they had perfect knowledge about God and this coming Messiah, but they really did not, and thus they took the path of the focus verse, “For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” Romans 10:3

This is why it is so important that we read and study His word, so we know exactly what it is saying.  I have seen many church goers who speak of doing what the Bible says when they really do not understand what it is actually saying.  And it is even more important when we are teaching others. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.  It is important that we read and be diligent, not haphazardly reading when we get a chance, but focusing on truly understanding.  The Jewish leadership unfortunately did not get it, let’s not follow in their footsteps.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Matthew 5:6

Verse of the Day: Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.’ – Matthew 5:6

We all desire to be righteous before God.  However, how strongly do we desire it?  Jesus said that we should hunger and thirst for it.  In other words, we should desire this above anything else.

This is what God desires of us.  To be righteous, to do the right thing, to be as He created us to be.  However, if we do not make this our focus, or if other things can take precedence, we will not attain it.  I want to encourage everyone reading this to go before God in prayer, asking Him to guide your steps to do all that He commands and turn away from that which He does not want.  Ask Him to help you be a righteous servant and son.  For if this is truly your greatest desire, you will attain it.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Genesis 15:6

Verse of the Day Devotion. Genesis 15:6

“Then he believed in the LORD; and He credited it to him as righteousness.” – Genesis 15:6

After Abram rescued Lot from captivity, God gave a promise to Abram in a vision. “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” Genesis 15:1. There was a good reason for God to say this. Abram had just defeated a much larger army made up of a partnership of four kings. He had reason to be afraid, expecting an attack of retribution, but God promised him a great reward. And as we see in the next verse, he has a greater desire which he believes could not be fulfilled. “But Abram said, Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Genesis 15:2. To Abram, having a son to carry on the family line was more important than anything else. During that time, if there was not a son to carry on the line, it would fall upon the head servant of the house, who would then be the heir.

Then we read in verse 4, “Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” Genesis 15:4. What is amazing is that Abram was somewhere between 70 and 80 years old, while Sara would have been between 60 and 70 years old, both long after the age of childbearing.  However, as we see in our focus verse, Abram believed God, and because he believed, God declared Abram righteous, and then shows him something else. “And He took him outside and said, now look toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, so shall your descendants be.” Genesis 15:5. God told him that the number of stars was a picture of the number of his descendants; innumerable. We see this same idea in Hosea. “Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted” Hosea 1:10a.

In response to all these promises, we read in our focus verse. “Then he believed in the LORD; and He credited it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6. Notice the wording ‘believed in the Lord’. The action of faith preceded the vocabulary of faith. In other words, by virtue of his earlier obedient response to a word from God, Abram was putting his faith in God. And this was the case even though he saw this impossible, because of his and his wife’s age, which was well beyond childbearing age. It was deemed an impossibility as far as Abram was concerned, but because God promised him many offspring, Abram believed and trusted God that He would bring it to pass.

There are two things we can glean from this.  First, God can do anything no matter how impossible it may seem to be.  If God promises us something, it will come to pass. There should be no doubt about this.  So, we can look at the promises of God throughout the scriptures and know that they will  come to pass.   And second, this is a beautiful picture of the gospel.  If we truly believe that Christ died, was buried, and then rose again for our salvation, and we accept it and live our lives as such, then our salvation is sure.  Note Jesus’ words in John’s gospel, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16  Do you truly believe, and does your belief reflect the light of Christ to others?  If so, then God has declared you righteous and His promises will be fulfilled for you. Let us all who truly believe rejoice!

 William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, President and Founder of True Devotion Ministries.

Psalm 4:1

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Psalm 4:1

“Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.” – Psalm 4:1

First, I want to clarify that David is not telling God to answer him, but asking Him. David has been through a lot in those days. In Psalm 3, we read about him dealing with the troubles brought about by his son Absalom who rebelled against him along with the vast majority of Israel who followed Absalom.  Now, in chapter four, we see that many great men were lying about David, speaking ill of him, and ultimately defaming his character. “You sons of man, how long will my honor be treated as an insult? How long will you love what is worthless and strive for a lie?” Psalm 4:2. David’s life as king was not an easy one. He found himself suffering through all kinds of trials. But he understood with full clarity what would truly bring God’s people through rough times, that being the Almighty God. “But know that the LORD has set apart the godly person for Himself; The LORD hears when I call to Him.” Psalm 4:3.

Then David lays out four basic imperatives directed at the people there, and to us as well. First, we are to tremble but not sin. “Tremble, and do not sin;” Psalm 4:4a. We are to understand that to go against what God commands is sin and thus we must focus all our efforts and thoughts on not sinning against Him. Unfortunately, too many people ignore this and twist the verse such that they see, ‘sin, but tremble not’. We see so many people, who call themselves Christians, going about sinning and not thinking anything about it. This is especially true of many who believe that once you are saved God forgives anything you do going forward. This concept is known as antinomianism which has the idea that Christians are released by grace from the obligation of following any moral, religious or social norms or laws. The word itself is from the Greek that means ‘against the law.’ Our hearts must be such that we tremble at the thought of sinning at all. Next, we are to think about what we are doing. “Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still. Selah” Psalm 4:4b. On your bed, calmly consider and meditate on these things in the silence of night, when you are at leisure from distracting business. Be still and compose your tumultuous minds. Think about what you do, and if it is right then continue, but if it is wrong, then stop and ask forgiveness and no longer continue in this way.

Next, “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD.” Psalm 4:5a. Do not attempt to offer a sacrifice to God for prosperity in your present rebellious conduct. Such a sacrifice would be a sin. Turn to God from whom you have revolted; and offer to him a righteous sacrifice, such as is lawful and such as He can receive. In other words, do not just offer something to God so that you can receive something from Him, or offer up to God something that is not acceptable to Him. And finally, we are to trust in the Lord. He loves us, wants the best for us, and can do anything. This is the God we serve, and He is the only one we can trust completely.

Then David finishes this with the following. “Many are saying, who will show us anything good?” Psalm 4:6a. He starts this by asking a rhetorical question ‘Who will show us anything good?’ After continual disappointment from man, we may begin to doubt if God will show us any good. But not David. He says, “Lift up the light of Your face upon us, LORD! You have put joy in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine are abundant. In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, LORD, have me dwell in safety.” Psalm 6b-8. Despite what the cynics said about God not being there or ignoring them, David trusted that the LORD would give him joy beyond what the ungodly had in their prosperity. And because he trusts in God, he can lie down and sleep in peace because the Lord provides them safety in all their ways. We can imagine a man lying down to sleep, tormented by all of what his enemies or fake friends say about him. David could be that man, but instead he trusted in the LORD. He therefore had a gladness that the world could not take away, even with all their slanders and lies.

In closing, no matter which way we read the psalm, one aspect of David’s faith is clear: it is to God that he turns for vindication, and it is in God that He trusts. To the extent that the language of the psalm implies an attack on the David’s honor, David names the Lord as God of my righteousness, which put another way, the God who vindicates me. And in wisdom, we must see life the same way. Life for the Christian can be very difficult,  because the enemy hates us and desires to destroy our faith. We need to trust God that no matter our situation, as Christians He is with us and will bring about a good, even if we do not see a good ourselves. Those whom God knew would give their lives to Him can be assured that all things will turn out great. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” Romans 8:28-30.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, President and Founder of True Devotion Ministries.

Matthew 5:6

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

In this verse, Matthew is talking about people’s attitudes toward righteousness. Most people want to do things that are right. We, as Christians, are called to do what is right. However, there is a big distinction between doing righteous things and desiring righteousness. And that distinction is defined as even greater then desiring it. We are called to ‘hunger and thirst’ for righteousness. Now this goes far beyond desiring righteousness. Jesus is speaking of an intense longing for righteousness that may be likened to both hunger and thirst. Everyone now and then does what is right, but Jesus is pointing his hearers not to occasional acts but to a passionate concern and regarding what is right.

Righteousness is often used in the New Testament for the right standing believers have before God because of Christ’s atoning work. Now it is plain that Matthew has a strong interest in the upright living that should characterize the servant of Christ. To be more specific, we should notice that he is not suggesting that people can make a strong effort and achieve the righteousness of which he is writing: it is a given righteousness, not an achieved righteousness. The blessed may not totally achieve it but hunger and thirst for it.

There are several verses in the Old Testament that have the same idea as we find in our focus verse. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, Where is your God?” Psalm 42:1-3. Note our focus verse. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6. As the dear pants for water, in other words, as the dear needs water due to thirst, I thirst for God and His ways.

Another verse is found in Psalm 63, which is a Psalm of David. “God, You are my God; I shall be watching for You; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and exhausted land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1. Here, David compares his desire for God as one who desires water where he cannot find it. David sought God at the tabernacle as earnestly as a thirsty man looks for water in a dry and thirsty land. The Wilderness of Judah is largely desert, so this was a picture of longing that came easily to David’s mind. And one more psalm, “I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, like a weary land. Selah” Psalm 143:6. This is another from David, who is spreading out his hands to God to reply.

And then in the book of Amos. “Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will roam about to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it.” Amos 8:11-12. Notice the nature of this famine. It is not a lack of God’s word, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. The condition described is that of being deaf to the words of Jehovah, not able to hear them. It is not a case of God withholding His revelation; but of people being in such a state that they do not see it, do not hear the words.

God is calling us to seek Him, His word, and His righteousness.  We should desire God’s righteousness more than a starving man cries out for food, and more than someone who is intensely thirsty cries out for water. Deeply joyful and spiritually whole are those who actively seek a right relationship with God and, in so doing, discover that He alone can completely save and satisfy our souls.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Isaiah 56:1

Verse of the Day Devotion.  Isaiah 56:1

“Thus says the LORD, preserve justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.” – Isaiah 56:1  

In Chapters 54 and 55, Isaiah lays out some glorious things to look forward to. In chapter 54, Isaiah speaks of a never-ending covenant of peace with the Lord, and in chapter 55 he speaks of God’s compassion toward His people.  In rejoicing in the unconditional acceptance that these chapters convey, many no-doubt probably believed that the grace of God carries no obligation with it. But our focus verse adds an additional item. “Thus says the LORD, Preserve justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come And My righteousness to be revealed.” Isaiah 56:1. What is being said here is not that we have salvation because of our judgement and righteousness, but that because of the salvation provided for us, and coming soon, obedience to God should be lived out in us. The general idea is, that it was not only appropriate that the prospect of his coming and his near approach should lead them to a holy life, but it was necessary in order that they might escape his indignation.

We then read in the next verse. “How blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who takes hold of it. Who keeps from profaning the sabbath and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” Isaiah 56:2. The idea is that the one who is righteous, and acts with good judgment exercises a good conscience both towards God and men; he enjoys communion with God in his ways, worship, and ordinances, he attends unto, and has an evidence of his right to eternal happiness. His life is to be dedicated to doing what is right and honorable which is pleasing to God. And this is not to be restricted to the Jews alone, for this message applies to the foreigner and outcasts as well. “Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, The LORD will surely separate me from His people. Neither let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus says the LORD, To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.” Isaiah 56:3-5.

Significantly, the message concerns the outcast persons as well; those being foreigners or eunuchs. This alone should give these people a sense of dignity and worth. They are told here not to look down on themselves. Others may look at them this way, but they are not to acquiesce to this, and accept what they are saying. God will not cut them off. He does not see them as worthless or lifeless but as worthy. Lets look back at the previous chapter. “Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7. It does not matter who you are, those who seek God in all sincerity as denoted in turning away from wickedness, will find themselves accepted by Him.

Finally, in the next three verses we read. “Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, everyone who keeps from profaning the sabbath, And holds fast My covenant; Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples. The Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, “Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.” Isaiah 56:6-8.  God is not looking at Gentiles any differently than Jews, even to the point that their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable to Him, if again, they seek the Lord with all their heart.

We should never look at anyone and consider them unworthy of salvation or following God. Many of the Jewish people, especially the leadership, felt themselves as being superior to anyone who were Gentiles or Jews who did not live as they did. As we see here in these verses, God does not see anyone as less than all other and so excluding them from salvation. They may not be as learned in the things of God than others, or they may have personalities that are far different, but no one is to be excluded. We need to keep this in mind. Some people may look down on others, however, we must see all as worthy of God’s grace and proceed as such. God sees us all the same, either sinners saved by grace, or sinners in need of salvation. And we should never see anyone any differently. Either we help disciple them, or we help them become saved and then disciple them. This is our calling from God, and to exclude anyone is not acceptable.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Psalm 7:17

Verse of the Day Devotion Psalm 7:17  

“I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” – Psalm 7:17  

Through this week we will be looking at verses in the scriptures that speak of thankfulness to our God that is due to Him.  And our focus verse today is, “I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” Psalm 7:17.

We read in verse one the following. “A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite. O Lord my God, in Thee I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me, lest he tear my soul like a lion, dragging me away, while there is none to deliver.” Psalm 7:1-2.  First, let us look at what a Shiggaion is.  This denotes a lyrical poem composed under strong mental emotion; a song of impassioned imagination accompanied with suitable music; a wild and passionate writing. 

He is under strong persecution by those who pursue him which speaks of his enemies.  And he cries out to God saying that he takes refuge in Him asking that God would save Him.  He then goes on to say, “O LORD my God, if I have done this, If there is injustice in my hands, If I have rewarded evil to my friend, Or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary, Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; And let him trample my life down to the ground, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.” Psalm 7:3-5.  It appears that he was falsely accused of something he did not do. He then cries out to God saying if He did do what he was accused of then let his enemy overtake him. 

Then he prays that God will vindicate him for he is innocent.  “Arise, O LORD, in Thine anger; Lift up Thyself against the rage of my adversaries and arouse Thyself for me; Thou hast appointed judgment. And let the assembly of the peoples encompass Thee; And over them return Thou on high. The LORD judges the peoples; Vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.  let the evil of the wicked come to an end but establish the righteous; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.” Psalm 7:6-9.  David calls on God to arise and make it known what really happened. He is saying Your own people who compass your  altar, the faithful of the land, are full of gloomy apprehensions. They hear the charges against me; and see how I am persecuted. Their minds are divided; they know not what to think. For their sakes, return and ascend to the judgment-seat; and let them see, by the dispensations of your providence, who is innocent and who is guilty. David feared not to make this appeal to God; for the consciousness of his innocence showed him at once how the discrimination would be made.

He then states that he lays everything in God’s hands. “My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.” Psalm 7:10.  He trusted in God, knowing He would protect him and deliver him from his troubles. And because of all this, He gives thanks in our focus verse.  “I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” Psalm 7:17.  David says that because of all this, he will give thanks to God. That is, particularly as manifested in the treatment of the righteous and the wicked, protecting the one, and bringing deserved punishment upon the other. The purpose of the psalm is to show this. In the course of the psalm the author had declared his full conviction that this was the character of God, and now, in view of this, he says that he will render to him the praise and glory which such a character deserves. He will acknowledge him by public acts of praise as such a God; and will at all times ascribe these attributes to him. 

And I want to encourage all Christians to be thankful in all times, no matter how difficult things appear to be.  Nothing is too difficult for God; therefore we need to trust Him. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren; and whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”  Romans 8:28-30.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.