Tonight’s Bible study looked at giving thanks to God for His righteousness. Sometimes, we are more comfortable with giving thanks for other attributes of God (His love, mercy and compassion, for example), but the Psalms abound with thanking God because He is righteous and just and rules with righteousness (see Ps 9:8, Ps 96:10, Ps 99:4).
We often feel uncomfortable when talking about human righteousness because we know that no one is righteous like God (see Ps 143:2). However, in individual cases, the psalmists often knew they had obeyed God and done what was right, and as a result could be confident in God’s vindication. All our ideas of law and righteousness ultimately stem from a confidence in God’s character, a confidence demonstrated by Abraham as he interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah (see Gen 18:1-33). We know that the Judge of all the earth will do right.
That is not to say we understand God’s righteousness or His timing! But just as Jesus learned to entrust Himself to the One who judges justly (1 Pet 2:23), so we too can learn to thank God for His righteousness and just nature, knowing that He will work all things together for good. (Rom 8:28)