FYI: I was informed by my boss that I will not be able to access my room next week (maintenance), so I'm sorry (I don't think it matters because I don't think I have any readers, but JUST IN CASE!), I will NOT be able to blog next week. I do plan to come in on Sunday and make one more post. But I will not be able to blog for a week.
I was prompted to write this post because a friend shared a story with me.
It caused me to reflect on Psalm 37:6, which says:
"He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."
This Scripture is extremely meaningful to me because several years ago, someone that I trusted wronged me severely, and my life changed dramatically because of her choice. I remember crying out to God for justice to be served. I cried out continually, several times a day for several weeks. My desire for justice in this situation was astonishingly strong. He gave me Psalm 37:6 one evening, and I clung to it desperately, reciting it over and over, claiming it as a promise that He heard my cry and would bring forth justice in due time.
God also prophesied to me about the situation (something He RARELY does, so I pay careful attention when He does), and the prophecy came true. However, I must admit that the victory I had been desperately yearning for was very hollow. (Oops. I learned my lesson; trust me!) It did not satisfy AT ALL the way I had eagerly anticipated that it would. In His wisdom, God knew that in answering my selfish prayer, He would also be teaching me a lesson. Since then, I have been more thoughtful and careful about my prayers.
On to the story about my friend:
My friend just told me about someone close to her who had been wronged almost thirty years ago by another Christian. My friend's friend had long since forgiven the woman, but there had been no contact between my friend's friend and the Christian who had wronged her. Out of the blue, a few weeks ago, my friend's friend gets a call from this Christian woman, asking for forgiveness for her wrong choice so many years ago. I almost got chills when she told me.
Isn't God astonishing and marvelous? Both of us got justice in different ways. How striking.
Several years ago I began to ponder why God emphasizes justice and righteousness so strongly.
It is a clear Biblical theme, from Genesis to Revelation. I began to understand that God's character IS just and righteous. Period. It is probably extremely ignorant of me not to understand this, but I had been a Christian for quite a while before I began to grasp this truth. I then began to observe the lives of those around me, and noticed that it's true. Justice can take a myriad of forms, and oftentimes does not happen in OUR DESIRED time frame, but if you look carefully and ask God to show you the justice and righteousness in a given situation, I believe He will show you in due time.
So, because He is a God of justice and righteousness, He has NO CHOICE but to right wrongs--in His way, in His timing. I derive great comfort from that ... when I'm the one who has been wronged. But I derive great conviction from that when I am the one inflicting injustice on another. Sometimes we can be unjust and unrighteous and be blinded to ourselves. Satan is very good at that.
I was prompted to write this post because a friend shared a story with me.
It caused me to reflect on Psalm 37:6, which says:
"He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday."
This Scripture is extremely meaningful to me because several years ago, someone that I trusted wronged me severely, and my life changed dramatically because of her choice. I remember crying out to God for justice to be served. I cried out continually, several times a day for several weeks. My desire for justice in this situation was astonishingly strong. He gave me Psalm 37:6 one evening, and I clung to it desperately, reciting it over and over, claiming it as a promise that He heard my cry and would bring forth justice in due time.
God also prophesied to me about the situation (something He RARELY does, so I pay careful attention when He does), and the prophecy came true. However, I must admit that the victory I had been desperately yearning for was very hollow. (Oops. I learned my lesson; trust me!) It did not satisfy AT ALL the way I had eagerly anticipated that it would. In His wisdom, God knew that in answering my selfish prayer, He would also be teaching me a lesson. Since then, I have been more thoughtful and careful about my prayers.
On to the story about my friend:
My friend just told me about someone close to her who had been wronged almost thirty years ago by another Christian. My friend's friend had long since forgiven the woman, but there had been no contact between my friend's friend and the Christian who had wronged her. Out of the blue, a few weeks ago, my friend's friend gets a call from this Christian woman, asking for forgiveness for her wrong choice so many years ago. I almost got chills when she told me.
Isn't God astonishing and marvelous? Both of us got justice in different ways. How striking.
Several years ago I began to ponder why God emphasizes justice and righteousness so strongly.
It is a clear Biblical theme, from Genesis to Revelation. I began to understand that God's character IS just and righteous. Period. It is probably extremely ignorant of me not to understand this, but I had been a Christian for quite a while before I began to grasp this truth. I then began to observe the lives of those around me, and noticed that it's true. Justice can take a myriad of forms, and oftentimes does not happen in OUR DESIRED time frame, but if you look carefully and ask God to show you the justice and righteousness in a given situation, I believe He will show you in due time.
So, because He is a God of justice and righteousness, He has NO CHOICE but to right wrongs--in His way, in His timing. I derive great comfort from that ... when I'm the one who has been wronged. But I derive great conviction from that when I am the one inflicting injustice on another. Sometimes we can be unjust and unrighteous and be blinded to ourselves. Satan is very good at that.
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