Is It Wrong to Pray for Justice Against Evil? (Psalm 58) | Daily Devotional & Bible Study

As we go through the Psalms, we see David wrestle with strong emotions. In Psalm 58 he prays for God to act against evil on behalf of the righteous. It may sound harsh, but today we talk about why it matters that we serve a just God who will deal with evil. "And men will say, 'Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth!'" (Psalm 58:11) Questions this episode answers Why does Psalm 58 sound so harsh? Psalm 58 is an imprecatory psalm, a prayer asking God to judge evil. David uses vivid language because he is grieved by injustice from those who should rule rightly. Rather than taking revenge himself, he hands that anger to God. Is it okay for Christians to pray psalms that ask for judgment? These prayers are part of inspired Scripture, so they teach us something true about God's justice. Jesus also calls us to love our enemies, so we pray them with a desire for God's justice, not personal revenge. Romans 12:19 reminds us that vengeance belongs to the Lord. Will God really judge evil? Yes. Psalm 58:11 says there is a reward for the righteous and a God who judges on earth. We may not see justice right away, but God sees every wrong and will make things right. Links Bringing our hardest emotions to a just and loving God is part of what we practice in the Psalms at our contemplative Bible study retreat in Maui. Bible Study Live is a small-group Bible study trip with Rachael Groll. Study Scripture where it happened in Rome, or slow down for a contemplative Bible study retreat in Maui. Dates and details at BibleStudyLive.org Listen ad-free, plus the full library of past series, on Patreon: patreon.com/HearingJesus Questions or prayer requests? Leave me a voicemail: SpeakPipe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices