Day 26, Year 1

There is no Unrighteousness in God

“The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.” (Psalm 145:17 NKJV)

“The foolishness of man ruins his way, And his heart rages against the LORD.” (Proverbs 19:3 NASB)

Today’s topic might be off-putting to some people. Indeed, it is easy for people to confuse God’s actions with those of the devil and sinners. The first verse of today clearly states that the Lord is righteous in all His ways. Unrighteousness stems from the devil and sinners, while the victims of unrighteousness are humans and the whole world. Some might argue that God is unrighteous because He sees the unrighteousness in the world, yet chooses not to intervene. This argument overlooks the responsibilities and freedom God has given to all people. All of human freedom is real and always effective. For instance, God commanded humans to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28); thus, the responsibility of training up children falls on every parent. Whether they like it or not, parents have the authority and responsibility to nurture their children. Meanwhile, they do have the freedom to decide whether or not to educate their children and how to do so, and will ultimately be accountable to God.

Victims of wickedness should understand the cause of their suffering. For instance, if a natural disaster causes injury or death, it could be considered a direct calamity from God. However, people today have to consider whether burning fossil fuels is causing global warming and natural disasters are not so natural. If a victim suffers due to the influence of others or even evil spirits, it is usually not God who is to blame. Using the earlier example, some parents who are unprepared to raise children might abuse their kids. This is definitely not God’s action but humans’ unrighteousness. As a result, God will judge humans’ evil deeds, including child abuse.

The second verse of today points out that sometimes people make bad decisions that harm themselves, but they might blame God for not intervening. At this point, we should ask: How much do these people desire God’s wisdom and are willing to submit to Him so that they could follow His guidance? Indeed, some foolish people have grown accustomed to shifting the blame onto God or others. And it is quite difficult for these irresponsible people to truly follow and believe in Jesus.

Reflection questions: 

1) Do you believe that God is righteous in all His ways? Why?

2) Instead of blaming God, what would you do in response to the calamities that are happening?