“The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” vs. 20
Psalm 145:14-21
When we read our scriptures we are tempted to take to heart the verses that we agree with and totally discount those with which we have issues. And we’re not alone. Nearly all people are adept at cherry picking as they study the bible, loving the parts that support positions they already hold, and ignoring those that don’t. The psalmist who tells us “all the wicked he will destroy,” also wrote, “The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all he has made.” Some would say that there is a kind of contradiction here – others have ways of reconciling these seemingly opposite positions. At the very least passages like this are a reminder that our bible not only reveals God, it also reflects our very human notions about who God is. Some people like the notion that the wicked will be destroyed by God. It fits their sense of justice – and certainly there are many other passages in scripture that can be used to bolster that argument. But the bible also points toward a more grace-filled perspective, one that argues that God’s compassion overrides our desires for revenge. And some folks like that. And that’s why the bible is such an amazing book – and as long as we continue to remember it was written by faith ancestors for a lot of different reasons, we can be at peace with its contrary positions.
Thought for the Day: What do I do when I disagree with a bible passage?
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