In this psalm of praise, we are invited to worship God as the King above all kings, exalted over all people and one who has established equity and executed justice. In vs. 8, we read, “O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.”
While I don’t subscribe to the idea that God wreaks havoc on peoples’ lives as a way of punishing, I do believe there are consequences for ours and others’ bad behavior and poor choices. God forgives us, but out of steadfast love, allows us to grow and learn from our mistakes. God is the best kind of parent – unlike a “helicopter parent” or “snowplow parent,” God parents us with love and logic (a nod to the parenting technique that was popular when our kids were young).
Today, offer a prayer of praise for God’s steadfast love.