Friday, October 21, 2022

It Is God Alone Who Judges

Prayer – Lord, I know You will judge not only me…but everyone who has ever lived. I humbly once again repent of my sins…and ask You for mercy. Thank You for hearing my prayers…and for Your promise that You will never leave me or forsake me.

 

We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds. God says, "At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked. When the earthquakes and its people live in turmoil, I am the one who keeps its foundations firm. I warned the proud, 'Stop your boasting!' I told the wicked, 'Don't raise your fists! Don't raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.'" For no one on earth—from east or west, or even from the wilderness—should raise a defiant fist. It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall. For the LORD holds a cup in his hand that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours out the wine in judgment, and all the wicked must drink it, draining it to the dregs. But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. For God says, "I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly." Psalm 75:1-10

 

Meditate. Consider God’s presence in your life.

 

What’s on your plate today? Wine of judgment from God?

It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall. For the LORD holds a cup in his hand that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours out the wine in judgment, and all the wicked must drink it, draining it to the dregs. But as for me, I will always proclaim what God has done; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. For God says, "I will break the strength of the wicked, but I will increase the power of the godly." Psalm 75:7-10

God alone judges—not your parents, your spouse, your kids, your best friend, your worst enemy, your neighbor, your boss, your pastor, or your teacher. God alone judges. We may feel like others are judging us…and they may be…just like you judge others to some extent. We wrongfully judge others by the clothes they wear, the color of their hair, their car or house, who their friends are, what they do or don’t do, say, or write, but is that what Jesus taught His followers in the Sermon on the Mount?

Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Matthew 7:1-2

God will judge—He will bring justice. Know that we can’t hide anything from God. He is always near—and that is a good thing. Just know that He judges—and you want to be on His good side. I choose to take God at His word…and my goal is to do things that please Him. My relationship with Him has shown me that being obedient is the most important thing—to love God and to love others. He created everyone…and everything. For that, and His presence in my life, I give Him thanks. God alone is the judge.

 

Verses of Salvation ~ For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. John 3:16-21

 

Memory Verse of the Week ~ But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Cooking with, but not drinking, wine is good. Alcohol just turns into sugar in our bodies…and that is just more poison. Searching on the web I found that the average American consumes 17 teaspoons of sugar a day. I’m not doing that, so someone else is eating my 17 teaspoon of that poison daily. It is not really poison, like rat poison, but it is harmful to our bodies as it has no nutritional value and the calories make a person gain weight and thus increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, tooth decay, inflammation, and acne among other things. Sugar is hidden in lots of processed foods, so learn the alternate names of sugar, like high fructose corn syrup, maltose, glucose, saccharose, maltodextrin, treacle, barley malt, mannose, molasses, malt syrup, honey, agave nectar…and the list goes on. Not all sugars are bad…just some are worse than others. Maybe your body can tolerate honey or agave nectar. You’ll just have to try it to see. Anyway, throw a splash of white wine into the next panful of mushrooms that you cook up and you’ll enjoy another flavor dimension. I do.

 

© 2022 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson

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