LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL

By Pastor Mensa Otabil
 
Wednesday 28th January 2026

THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE

 Scripture Reading: Psalm 9

For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging in righteousness. You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. *Psalm 9:4-5*
 
David knew God as Judge. By experience, he had seen how the Lord dealt with cases brought before Him in prayer. This knowledge of God as Judge gave David confidence when people or nations mistreated him. On the other hand, David also knew that if he mistreated others, the Lord would not overlook his sin. God is not a partial judge.
 
Do you have confidence in God as a Righteous Judge? Do you go to Him when you are wronged?
 
In these verses, the psalmist paints a picture of how the Lord acts as our Judge. Consider these three statements.
 
You sat on your throne.

The image of God in this verse is that of a judge sitting to hear and judge a matter. God does not judge arbitrarily. He sits and hears all sides.
 
You have maintained my right.

 God’s judgment goes in favour of the righteous. Because God is fair and honest in His judging, the psalmist says that He judged in his favour. The line may be rendered “you have given fair judgment in my favour” or “You have done the right thing for me; you have given me justice.” The Psalmist indicates in this passage that God judged his case and found him right (or innocent).

You have destroyed the wicked.

 God judges the wicked. In verse 5, we see that God’s judgment of the wicked moves from one level of intensity to a greater level of intensity, from rebuke to destruction to total extermination, even down to their very name.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, you are the God who judges righteously. I trust your judgments in all my dealings, in Jesus’ name, Amen!