It isn’t easy to take a stand for “justice for all” and do what it right in God’s view of the world. In fact, as soon as we take one step forward at the leading of God, away from the crowd of complacency, to tell the truth—the opposition will rise up to crush you with glee.  I have experienced this more than a few times as a leader who God gave a message with a calling to speak His Truth.  Even though shaking in fear on the outside; God gave me strength from the inside out to speak as long as it was God leading. 

I learned much, (but not all for I am still learning and growing), from these experiences of being called to stand to help others seek the justice and mercy God wants. I have also learned to not just jump in great enthusiasm without first seeking God for His wisdom and His words. As God promised, His Holy Spirit spoke in and through me. 

Truth:  God knows what is going on better than we do.  He also knows our hearts and the hearts of those who oppose Him.  To be a leader is to be a consistent seeker and a tenacious learner of God and His Ways.  “I want to know Christ”, Paul speaks with enthusiasm, and “share in His sufferings!”  Yeah, we don’t like that last part but it is all part of the growing intimately with God that we need as we surrender to God through Jesus, His Son who saved us.

What does this have to do with our passage in Psalms today?  Hang on…

Paul is indeed a great example in knowing the difference between seeking justice with God or against Him. Before Paul knew Jesus, the Jewish from birth man called Saul, became unrighteously obsessed with a furious anger (not of God) who gathered an army to seek all new believers in Jesus with the sole purpose to harass, maim and kill all who were committed to speak His Truth.  (Read Stephen’s story in Acts 7!  Saul was there watching as Stephen was stoned for preaching Jesus!)

Later in chapter 9 in the book of Acts of the Apostles, God tells us that Jesus stopped Saul who had the written authority of the religious leaders with orders to provide “justice” by continuing his killing spree.  Jesus blinded his eyes from the “justice of men” right in the middle of the road on his way to Damacus to see the justice and mercy of God!  Jesus, in all His resurrected power and authority of God, called Saul from heaven to ask these chilling, profound words of him; “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”   (Read that again. Maybe we should put our names in place of Saul and ask the same question.)  Hold that thought.

We read that Saul was blinded physically for three days. “For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias.” Acts 9:9-10. 

Jesus stopped Saul and was converting the blinded Saul to a new way life and gave Ananias the power to heal and to open Saul’s eyes to a new way of thinking of “seeking justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God”, as the prophet Micah had written centuries earlier. (Micah 6:8) This scripture could have been what Saul would have memorized as a young boy learning in the synagogue!  What this teaches us is that we cannot trust our own judgement of justice—we must rely on God for only He has the authority to judge right from wrong for He is perfect in all His ways with perfect love and is Truth.

Beware:  We sometimes will use scripture, personal opinionize and add to it until we get what we want from it until it is not what God intended as Truth. 

“I stood up for justice and the right; don’t leave me to the mercy of my oppressors,” the Psalmist proclaims to God. 

Now, back to Saul.  Saul harassed and stoned all he could according to his own idea of “justice”.  He did so with the authority and permission of the established religion of the Jews. Saul became a leader with power and position with permission!  All in the name of tradition of the religious leadership who stood up for what they thought God wanted—What they missed was the promised Messiah came and went while they were intent to preserve The Law given to the Jews centuries earlier.  Jesus came to fulfill The Law given by God; not the add-ons by the religious leaders.  Jesus tried to point out the differences to the leaders but they were not believing it.  They chose to believe in themselves because their system was good for their economy. Saul chose to take his form of justice with no mercy much farther…kill all who believed in Jesus and followed Him.  In his mind, believers in Jesus no longer followed The Law because they were not doing what the priests, scribes and Pharisees said to do along with all the high priests’ addendums to God’s Law added as ways to bully God’s people.

What is the justice that we seek?  Do we truly love mercy (unmerited favor) to those who need it?  Does our humble walk with God demonstrate who God is with His justice and mercy that includes forgiveness without condemnation?  Pause to prayerfully ponder—I am.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3;16-17

Psalm 119:121-128, The Message

ע Ayin

I stood up for justice and the right;
    don’t leave me to the mercy of my oppressors.
Take the side of your servant, good God;
    don’t let the godless take advantage of me.
I can’t keep my eyes open any longer, waiting for you
    to keep your promise to set everything right.
Let your love dictate how you deal with me;
    teach me from your textbook on life.
I’m your servant—help me understand what that means,
    the inner meaning of your instructions.
It’s time to act, God;
    they’ve made a shambles of your revelation!
Yea-Saying God, I love what you command,
    I love it better than gold and gemstones;
Yea-Saying God, I honor everything you tell me,
    I despise every deceitful detour.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

As believers, committed to seeking justice, loving mercy, with a desire to humbly walk with God; we respond by standing when God calls us with opened eyes and listening ears with eagerness to obey for His words are Truth spoken with His Spirit of His love.  We can only speak up when His love is in our hearts as we speak His Word. Justice is not getting our own way of even the ways others—only God’s Way.  

Do not speak His Word if His love is not in our hearts. 

Lord,

Hallowed is Your Name.  May Your Kingdom come and reside in us and be seen all around us. May Your Will be done in all the details of our lives here as it is in heaven. Give us this day all you know we will need to be all you created and called us to be—yours!  Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  Lead us not into temptations; but deliver us from evil and our own thinking. Cleanse our hearts, remove all that is not of you. Renew our minds, transform our thinking. Refresh our souls with your mercies, fresh for today. And restore the joy of your salvation at work within all who believe and call on Your Name.  Thank for your peace that the world cannot give.

In Jesus Name, Amen