- Joined
- Oct 26, 2007
- Messages
- 11,642
The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged. They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then at last everyone will say, "There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth." Psalm 58:10-11 NLT
Most Christians have an anger problem: the lie that a good Christian doesn’t get mad. To be sure, anger is a double-edged blade. Too often we stuff our frustrations down until we hulk out and damage relationships and trust. But Ephesians 4:26 gives us the appropriate reaction: “Be angry and do not sin.” That’s at the blade’s other edge: an honest but productive response.
Psalm 58 is an imprecatory psalm—David raging against his enemies and the world’s injustice. It’s raw, even violent stuff. God can handle our anger, even though He isn’t obliged to do what we ask if it doesn’t align with His will. But He knows about anger. Psalm 7:11 says God is angry with the wicked every day. But the cross shows us what He did with His anger at our sin—taking our just punishment on Himself so we could avoid the brunt of His righteous wrath.
We know things aren’t the way they’re supposed to be. The Bible calls us to channel our anger into setting things right, aligning with God’s desire for reconciliation and justice.
Prayer: Father, help me as a new creation in Christ to channel my frustrations into words and works that acknowledge the problem but also honor You and Your desire for repentance, redemption, and restoration.
Definition: An imprecatory psalm is a type of psalm that contains curses or prayers for the punishment of the enemies of the psalmist or of God. The word imprecate means to invoke evil upon or curse. There are about ten imprecatory psalms in the Book of Psalms of the Hebrew Bible.
Most Christians have an anger problem: the lie that a good Christian doesn’t get mad. To be sure, anger is a double-edged blade. Too often we stuff our frustrations down until we hulk out and damage relationships and trust. But Ephesians 4:26 gives us the appropriate reaction: “Be angry and do not sin.” That’s at the blade’s other edge: an honest but productive response.
Psalm 58 is an imprecatory psalm—David raging against his enemies and the world’s injustice. It’s raw, even violent stuff. God can handle our anger, even though He isn’t obliged to do what we ask if it doesn’t align with His will. But He knows about anger. Psalm 7:11 says God is angry with the wicked every day. But the cross shows us what He did with His anger at our sin—taking our just punishment on Himself so we could avoid the brunt of His righteous wrath.
We know things aren’t the way they’re supposed to be. The Bible calls us to channel our anger into setting things right, aligning with God’s desire for reconciliation and justice.
Prayer: Father, help me as a new creation in Christ to channel my frustrations into words and works that acknowledge the problem but also honor You and Your desire for repentance, redemption, and restoration.
Definition: An imprecatory psalm is a type of psalm that contains curses or prayers for the punishment of the enemies of the psalmist or of God. The word imprecate means to invoke evil upon or curse. There are about ten imprecatory psalms in the Book of Psalms of the Hebrew Bible.
