True Justice
Yodh
Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.
May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,
that I may not be put to shame.
Psalm 119:73-80
Psalm 119 is a bit like climbing a slowly ascending tower. Most of the time you are seeing the same thing over and over again, but every now and then, something new pops up.
So, in the midst of much we have already covered about God, His law and delighting in His commands, I want to focus in on one line. The Psalmist says, “may the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause.”
Jesus commands us to turn the other cheek. To take up our cross and follow Him. We are not to return abuse with abuse, slander with slander or murder with murder. We are to suffer these injustices. He leads us in these ways by His death on the cross. The greatest injustice.
Do you struggle with this? Does your heart and mind cry out for divine justice?
Romans 12:19 says, Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
If this feels a bit alien to us, it is because we have not suffered much. But imagine those believers in Africa, the Middle-East or Asia who right now are being murdered because of their faith. If your loved one was harmed, what would you cry out for?
This is exactly what is happening in John’s vision of the heavens. In Revelation 6, the souls of those slain by persecution cry out,
“How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”
There is a hard but good truth here. There is justice. To slander, persecute or kill God’s people, who carry God’s Holy name and are citizens of His kingdom, is a great evil. And one day there will be justice.
But in love, we also pray for our enemies. That God would rescue them from their dreadful state.
For Today:
Pray: Praise the Father that He is a God of justice and mercy. Give thanks that Jesus Christ who suffered the shame of the cross so that we might be forgiven. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others trust God with justice and love our enemies.
Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
for I have put my hope in your word.
I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
Let your compassion come to me that I may live,
for your law is my delight.
May the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause;
but I will meditate on your precepts.
May those who fear you turn to me,
those who understand your statutes.
May I wholeheartedly follow your decrees,
that I may not be put to shame.
Psalm 119:73-80
Psalm 119 is a bit like climbing a slowly ascending tower. Most of the time you are seeing the same thing over and over again, but every now and then, something new pops up.
So, in the midst of much we have already covered about God, His law and delighting in His commands, I want to focus in on one line. The Psalmist says, “may the arrogant be put to shame for wronging me without cause.”
Jesus commands us to turn the other cheek. To take up our cross and follow Him. We are not to return abuse with abuse, slander with slander or murder with murder. We are to suffer these injustices. He leads us in these ways by His death on the cross. The greatest injustice.
Do you struggle with this? Does your heart and mind cry out for divine justice?
Romans 12:19 says, Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
If this feels a bit alien to us, it is because we have not suffered much. But imagine those believers in Africa, the Middle-East or Asia who right now are being murdered because of their faith. If your loved one was harmed, what would you cry out for?
This is exactly what is happening in John’s vision of the heavens. In Revelation 6, the souls of those slain by persecution cry out,
“How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”
There is a hard but good truth here. There is justice. To slander, persecute or kill God’s people, who carry God’s Holy name and are citizens of His kingdom, is a great evil. And one day there will be justice.
But in love, we also pray for our enemies. That God would rescue them from their dreadful state.
For Today:
- Do you feel a sense of injustice when people slander Jesus/God?
- How are you going at trusting God with that injustice?
- Pray for someone/s who is persecuting God’s people.
Pray: Praise the Father that He is a God of justice and mercy. Give thanks that Jesus Christ who suffered the shame of the cross so that we might be forgiven. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others trust God with justice and love our enemies.
Posted in Psalms
No Comments