God's Justice

Most of us can probably talk about a level of injustice that they have personally witnessed.  You may have seen or been the victim of some type of abuse.  You may have seen people mistreated financially.  You may have known of cases where someone close to you was personally attacked by people whose sole purpose seemed to have been the outright destruction of character. They used every lie, slander and manipulation.  Their efforts may have even worked with others, peeling people away from truth.

It's easy in those moments to ask the question, "Where was God in all of this?"  In some ways I think that every believer has a picture in their heads of Jesus riding a white steed into the battle and setting right the enemies of truth.  We want God to raise His mighty 'smiter' and do justice on our enemies in a timely and quick fashion that ends the suffering and sleepless nights that we experience.  We want this, yet it can be argued that this is often not the best course of action for us.   Why?  Because if God ended trials as soon as they started we would see little growth in faith.   We would see little trust in a God who can save.   We would see little movement towards as James says our being, "Perfect and complete lacking in nothing."   Trials are necessary.  They are the chisel to the marble.   They are the tool for cutting facets into the diamond.  They are the fire for purifying gold and silver.

Yet do not believe that God isn't watching, not disbelieve that justice will not occur for you.  God's name is Jehovah Mishpat.  It literally means "God my justice."  To put this in very practical terms, He is identified as the God of justice, and so for Him to not do justice on evil is for Him to not live up to His name.   This is something He can not do - it is contrary to His nature.  He MUST do justice.

The question for you and I is how.  In what manner and means does God bring justice on evil done to us?  Consider these thoughts with me:

1.  Justice is done in His timing.   Never forget that God loves the other person or persons involved as much as He loves you.  While you may be the victim of injustice, you serve a God who is committed to changing every person involved by love and grace.   This means that He often will not charge in and radically change a situation for the chance that the trial will increase the person experiencing it and shame into repentance the person causing it.   Satan designed the crisis for destruction.  He wants the person going through it to give up.  He wants the person causing it to harden.  He wants the relationship destroyed and raw human emotion guiding the actions of both parties.   God desires better, but God's desire is contingent upon obedience.   It is God who will use the crisis to humble and  drive the person experiencing it to their knees.  That same God will remind the aggressor of his or her sins.   I am often guided by a question, "What if God brought justice upon me at the speed I want him to bring to my enemies?  NO ONE could stand.  I thank Him for His timing.

2.  Justice does not imply an apology to me:   I think of the desire to be vindicated.  Is it a human trait to want to point out the flaws of others and elevate ourselves; especially when we have been treated unfairly?  In that quest to be proven right, a lot of people never progress in their spiritual and emotional wounds being healed.   They withhold themselves from God, or withdraw from the community of believers who would want to help stitch their wounds and restore them to full function again.  All because of an apology.  All because of wanting to be vindicated before man.

Should we consider that the repentance necessary is first focused towards the Lord?  When the person realizes their sin, they need to take it up with God first.  Now people will argue that it doesn't stick until they bring it back to you, the offended.   James tells us to confess our sins one to another that we may be healed.   Yet I consider the primary example of forgiveness being the work of Jesus.  Jesus did not wait to forgive based upon an apology, but forgave all sins (past present and future) on the cross.  Even before His death, He looked down at the very men who were killing Him and prayed, "Father forgive them, for they don't know what they do."  I think like Jesus, we forgive long before an apology.  Justice should bring that person back to you (if they follow the Word), but by that point I believe you will be beyond the need to be vindicated and it would simply be God's way of restoration.

3.  Justice is paid out from Heaven's accounts:   I want you to follow this path with me.   God allows Satan to infiltrate your life with suffering and injustice.   God sees what Satan can't, and sees that you will respond in obedience and the crisis will yield new fruit in your life.  As new fruit is picked, you further your position of holiness before the Lord.  The end justifies the means right?   Case closed?

Not exactly.  Let me share my reason from todays verse that gave me pause.

"I will repay you for the years the locust have eaten - the great locust and the young locust, the other locust and the locust swarms - the great army that I send among you."  Joel 2:25

The context of this passage is Israel judged by God.  Things got so bad for them that the very means to worship was cut off from them.  They had a tremendous infestation of locust that consumed everything they had.  They were destroyed - desolate - and defenseless.  Yet the God who was a part of the judgement was also a part of the justice.  As they responded properly to Him, He paid them back with heaven's bounty.  Heaven's bounty paid off in very tangible ways to the people:

21 - the pastures will become green
22 - the trees will bear fruit
23 - the rains will come again
24 - the threshing floors will be full
26 - you will eat until you are full
26, 27 - never gain will my people be put to shame
28, 29 - I will pour out my Spirit on all people

I think we can see that when God brings justice, He pours all of Himself into righting the wrongs done.  Vindication is then seen, not in a public apology necessarily shaming the accuser, but in the wealth of God in the life of the accused.

The conclusion of this devotional is just a simply question:  Would you rather be proven right than proven blessed?