Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure—you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts. – Psalm 7:9

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 1, 2016): Psalm 7

The Islamic State believes that they serve the desires of Allah. This, maybe more than anything else, makes them dangerous. I believe that they are wrong, that Allah is not a God of violence, just as Yahweh is not a God of violence. Is there evidence to the contrary? Of course. But I believe that most of that evidence is our own misunderstanding of the essential nature of God. But there also lies another part of the problem. This is simply within an area of my belief. This may be what I believe, but belief is highly personal. But as I look at the God of the Bible, I see a God who has continually moved his creation toward peace, always moving just a step past of the place where we have been existing toward peace and love. This is a God who even the Hebrew Bible Jonah seemed to understand – I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity (Jonah 4:2).

But this is not who the Islamic State believes that Allah is. For them, Allah is a highly possessive and jealous God who wants his worshippers to rule over non-believers with an iron hand. He is the God of the holy war. Allah is a God who personifies violence and attack, who rejoices in the death of non-believers. This is the Allah (which simply means God in Aramaic) who the Islamic State worshippers. This is what they believe.

So, all of this begs the question, who exactly is right? And it is the question that David asks of Yahweh, his God. David does not seem to be asking God for special favors. He is asking God to judge his mind and his heart and determine who is righteous or of right belief. More than anything he wants to make sure that his own heart is right before God, then that God will stop the violence. And in asking God to stop the violence, he evidently believes that violence is not a characteristic of God.  

In the world in which I live, I have to admit that I share David’s prayer. I want to be examined by my God. I want what I believe to be shaped by my faith in him. And I want him to stop the violence. My prayer is that the God of peace will reign in this world. But that means that the God of peace has to reign in me, and all hate in me must end. Peace starts with me. And peace is also the core of what Jesus taught - ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44-45).  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 8