Being declared righteous means that the charges against us have been dropped and that our record has been expunged, or wiped clean. By doing this, Jehovah does not violate his own standards of justice. He does not declare us righteous on our own merit; nor does he condone our sins. But because of our faith in the atonement arrangement and the ransom price that was paid, Jehovah has a basis for canceling our debts. (Rom. 3:24) What does this mean for each of us? Those who have been selected to rule with Jesus in heaven have already been declared righteous as children of God. (Titus 3:7; 1 John 3:1) Their sins have been forgiven. They no longer have, as it were, a criminal record, and thus they qualify to be in the Kingdom. (Rom. 8:1, 2, 30) Those who have an earthly hope have been declared righteous as friends of God, and their sins are forgiven.​—Jas. 2:21-23. w25.02 5 ¶17; 7 ¶18

Consider one occasion when the apostle Peter did not reflect Jehovah’s thinking on matters. Jesus had told his apostles that he would have to go to Jerusalem, be handed over to the religious leaders there, endure torture, and then be put to death. (Matt. 16:21) Peter may have found it hard to accept that Jehovah would allow Jesus​—the hope of Israel and the promised Messiah—​to be put to death. (Matt. 16:16) So Peter took Jesus aside and said: “Be kind to yourself, Lord; you will not have this happen to you at all.” (Matt. 16:22) Because Peter did not reflect Jehovah’s thinking on the matter, he was not thinking in agreement with Jesus. Peter may have had good intentions, but Jesus rejected Peter’s advice. There is a lesson for us. Leading a self-sparing life was not Jehovah’s will for Jesus. On that occasion, Peter learned a valuable lesson about making God’s thoughts his thoughts. w25.03 9 ¶5-6

Are you coping with emotional distress caused by disappointment or by betrayal from someone you trusted? Regardless of how a person has treated you, your heavenly Father loves you. When coping with betrayal, we can be comforted by David’s reassuring words found in today’s text. One reference work says that those “crushed in spirit” may refer to “those who have nothing good to look forward to.” How does Jehovah respond to those who feel that way because of bitter disappointment? Like a loving parent who holds and comforts a child in distress, Jehovah “is close to” us​—ever compassionate and ready to help us if we feel crushed by betrayal or loss. He is eager to comfort and soothe our broken heart and pained spirit. And he gives us many things to look forward to that help us endure our present trials.​—Isa. 65:17. w24.12 23 ¶13-14