July 7

Throughout the centuries, many have fought wars in God’s name and killed other people in God’s name. Some had pure motives. Many didn’t. “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?” James asks. “Isn’t it the whole army of evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can’t possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them” (James 4:1&2). Wars are oftentimes fought because someone wants something from someone else they don’t already have. To be sure, there are others who end up in fights or battles simply by defending them-selves and their families against those who are evil and selfish. Only God knows when our motives are pure and right. God “knows everything - - doesn’t He also know what you are doing? The Lord knows people’s thoughts” (Psalm 94:10& 11).
There are those from every religion who believe their cause is right, many who will “claim that God is on their side.” Among them are “leaders who permit injustice by (the) laws (they make). They attack the righteous and condemn the innocent to death” (94:20&21). But, God knows the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:13). God knows when rulers wage war for their own selfish gain and when rulers wage war to defend their people. One of the purposes for those who rule is to protect those whom they rule. “The authorities are sent by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. (For) the authorities are established by God....to punish those who do wrong” (Romans 13:4). We may not always see justice done immediately in our lifetimes. And we may not live long enough to always see the evil punished and the righteous redeemed. Faith is know-ing that, “God will (eventually) make the sins of evil people fall back upon them. He will destroy them for their sins” (94:23). “The Lord will not reject His people; He will not abandon His own special possession. Judgment will come again for the righteous, and those who are upright will have a reward” (94:14&15).