love with Justice
I love when God takes a concept that I've long-held as truth, and revamps it. I think it's one of the most exciting parts of following Jesus. to me it's one thing I can pinpoint as being indicative of growth; and recognizing my own growth is something I really treasure and value.
the concept of justice is one of these things that God's revamping and reteaching me about. I've always heard people say that our God is a God of justice, and for a long time I didn't get it, or it intimidated me. I kind of thought, "what if I am one of those unjust people who He's going to pour His wrath on in the end?" fortunately that fear is not really legit. I mean, I'm still fearful/in awe of God, but the fact that I am angry at injustice tells me that I'm on God's side, and I probably am of the right mindset. plus I'm covered by grace; that's always a good thing.
there's a Rita Springer song that I heard at a friend's wedding this summer, and I loved both the tune and the lyrics. for awhile, though, I wrestled with the lyrics, and always thought, "God, what does that even MEAN?"
God kissed me with a promise
God kissed me with a hope for a future, and
Your beauty, it looks like righteousness
And I'm in love with Justice
for a long time - as in, most of my life - I think I tried to disassociate God with justice. it was never something about Him that I loved or praised Him for, but something that just came with the package. "alright God, this idea of justice is one of your attributes, so I'll recognize that, but I don't get it." justice has seemed unfair to me at times. but I think it comes from a Satan-influenced perception that we're not SO bad as humans. it's easy to get offended at God's coming wrath if we don't recognize how truly evil our sinful nature is. and while we are saved by grace through faith as Christ-followers, there are millions of people out there who are rejecting God, not acknowledging the love and acceptance He offers, and are pursuing their own ideals and interests. some do this by omission and simply excluding God from their lives, but there are also people who spit in His face by destroying and rejecting His creation, whether it be an environmentally related issue, a genocidal issue... what have you. it's easy to put on our rose-colored glasses and say that we're "pretty good people." but who was the person that took a census and somehow decided that the majority of the population is "good"? what of the murder and violence that occur every day? what of the parents who mistreat innocent children, and know better? frankly, our "goodness" is a lie from Satan, and it keeps us from understanding a very important dimension of God's personality and character.
once I started recognizing this, I starting recognizing how awesome it is that God IS just. I believe it is no coincidence that those who like to claim humanity's "goodness" are the same ones who revile a God who, in their opinion, is injust. this is the crowd who says, "if God is good, then why is __________ happening? why is there illness and disease? why would God allow 9/11 to happen?" I'm not saying that God always immediately punishes those who reject Him. I AM saying that when people claim that humanity is good and that God is not, well, it's not hard to see that these people have a very skewed sense of who the God of the Bible is.
but the good news is that our God is a God who saves. our God also promises to punish those who deserve punishment, but He will bring about justice for those who are "poor."
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. (Is. 11:3-4)
the Word of God (especially in the book of Isaiah) reveals to us a God who looks for justice on the Earth and is displeased when He finds none. AND SO He remembers those who are hurting, and those who intentionally hurt others, and He works justice for those who are in need.
a really cool thing, though, is that with the concept of justice, God calls us to partnership, once again, as He does in so many other ways in His Word. we are called, as Abraham, to be a blessing as we're being blessed by God. this is something that takes a lot of fortitude and coworking with God, though; it does for me, anyway. I suspect it's the same with most people: we usually ask to be blessed by God because we believe He can, and because we want to reap the benefits of that. if someone had a cool gift for you, you'd probably want it, right? well what if they said, "here, this is for you; I know you'll really like it. BUT, it would make me even happier if you'd just use it for a little while and then give it to somebody else - especially someone who might need it worse or enjoy it more than you."
to me, that's kind of what it means to partner with God in bringing about justice, especially in serving the poor and needy. praying for justice keeps us in check because we aren't just praying selfishly to be blessed, but we can pray for a blessing AND pray to be a blessing to others.
case in point: God gave me some really cool verses this morning at prayer time.
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
one way that God is making this concept of justice come alive for me is by doing away with my limited perception of what words like "poor," "needy" and "hungry" mean. I used to take them way too literally and feel like a huge jerk because I would read passages like this and think to myself, "why am I not running around to help at every soup kitchen in the country? and why am I not giving all my money away to charity? and more importantly, if God really wants me to do these things, why are the streets not CRAWLING with homeless people? doesn't it kind of have to do with where you live, anyway?" I'm not saying that these verses have no literal meaning, but they also have deep spiritual meaning, too. I can think of plenty of people who "need" God, who are "hungry" for Him and who are "poor" in spirit. God has begun to show me that these people are in just as much of a bind as those who have very tangible physical needs.
what's awesome is that I prayed those verses on Tuesday morning at XA prayer time, and God answered my prayer. I was able to give away my Bible to a friend who needed it, which is the first time that's ever happened. it was also the first time I really feel like I've been able to give extravagantly. it's funny because I've given tithe that definitely outweighs the monetary value of that little Bible I gave away, but giving away my Bible was a lot harder than paying tithe. it was the first Bible I ever bought with my own money. it's one of the few things that I carry with my nearly everywhere I go. I can't exactly even put my finger on the reasons why it was hard to give it away, but part of the difficulty was the appeal.
I want to devote myself to extravagant giving and extravagant servanthood. not because it's fun or makes me look good, but because IT'S FREAKIN' HARD, and God says to do it. God doesn't call us to meagerly give or to treat others nicely, if we have time, or if our schedule permits. He calls us to be radicals-- to "spend ourselves" for the sake of others, like the verses above say. Paul talks about pouring himself out like a drink offering (Phil. 2:17) if it's going to encourage others to a closer faith relationship with God. countless parables that Jesus told are definitely indicative that we need to care about others even more than we do ourselves. to me, the idea of "spending oneself" basically means, "do whatever you can, with whatever energy you possess, to help other people." if it means giving away my favorite Bible, then I'll do it. if it means praying with my roommate or listening when she needs someone to listen, even when all I want to do is go to bed, I'll do it. my next goal is to just do whatever I can for anybody that comes along, which is an infinitely harder task to sustainably commit to doing. but God calls us to the impossible, doesn't He?
"I will waste my life." not "wasting" like most people think of it - wasting money, or time, or opportunities - but I'll waste away in the presence of God. I'll also give of myself and waste away if it's going to benefit other people. God, help me to do that, to put it into practice and habit, and not just say the words that I think You want to hear.
the concept of justice is one of these things that God's revamping and reteaching me about. I've always heard people say that our God is a God of justice, and for a long time I didn't get it, or it intimidated me. I kind of thought, "what if I am one of those unjust people who He's going to pour His wrath on in the end?" fortunately that fear is not really legit. I mean, I'm still fearful/in awe of God, but the fact that I am angry at injustice tells me that I'm on God's side, and I probably am of the right mindset. plus I'm covered by grace; that's always a good thing.
there's a Rita Springer song that I heard at a friend's wedding this summer, and I loved both the tune and the lyrics. for awhile, though, I wrestled with the lyrics, and always thought, "God, what does that even MEAN?"
God kissed me with a promise
God kissed me with a hope for a future, and
Your beauty, it looks like righteousness
And I'm in love with Justice
for a long time - as in, most of my life - I think I tried to disassociate God with justice. it was never something about Him that I loved or praised Him for, but something that just came with the package. "alright God, this idea of justice is one of your attributes, so I'll recognize that, but I don't get it." justice has seemed unfair to me at times. but I think it comes from a Satan-influenced perception that we're not SO bad as humans. it's easy to get offended at God's coming wrath if we don't recognize how truly evil our sinful nature is. and while we are saved by grace through faith as Christ-followers, there are millions of people out there who are rejecting God, not acknowledging the love and acceptance He offers, and are pursuing their own ideals and interests. some do this by omission and simply excluding God from their lives, but there are also people who spit in His face by destroying and rejecting His creation, whether it be an environmentally related issue, a genocidal issue... what have you. it's easy to put on our rose-colored glasses and say that we're "pretty good people." but who was the person that took a census and somehow decided that the majority of the population is "good"? what of the murder and violence that occur every day? what of the parents who mistreat innocent children, and know better? frankly, our "goodness" is a lie from Satan, and it keeps us from understanding a very important dimension of God's personality and character.
once I started recognizing this, I starting recognizing how awesome it is that God IS just. I believe it is no coincidence that those who like to claim humanity's "goodness" are the same ones who revile a God who, in their opinion, is injust. this is the crowd who says, "if God is good, then why is __________ happening? why is there illness and disease? why would God allow 9/11 to happen?" I'm not saying that God always immediately punishes those who reject Him. I AM saying that when people claim that humanity is good and that God is not, well, it's not hard to see that these people have a very skewed sense of who the God of the Bible is.
but the good news is that our God is a God who saves. our God also promises to punish those who deserve punishment, but He will bring about justice for those who are "poor."
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. (Is. 11:3-4)
the Word of God (especially in the book of Isaiah) reveals to us a God who looks for justice on the Earth and is displeased when He finds none. AND SO He remembers those who are hurting, and those who intentionally hurt others, and He works justice for those who are in need.
a really cool thing, though, is that with the concept of justice, God calls us to partnership, once again, as He does in so many other ways in His Word. we are called, as Abraham, to be a blessing as we're being blessed by God. this is something that takes a lot of fortitude and coworking with God, though; it does for me, anyway. I suspect it's the same with most people: we usually ask to be blessed by God because we believe He can, and because we want to reap the benefits of that. if someone had a cool gift for you, you'd probably want it, right? well what if they said, "here, this is for you; I know you'll really like it. BUT, it would make me even happier if you'd just use it for a little while and then give it to somebody else - especially someone who might need it worse or enjoy it more than you."
to me, that's kind of what it means to partner with God in bringing about justice, especially in serving the poor and needy. praying for justice keeps us in check because we aren't just praying selfishly to be blessed, but we can pray for a blessing AND pray to be a blessing to others.
case in point: God gave me some really cool verses this morning at prayer time.
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
one way that God is making this concept of justice come alive for me is by doing away with my limited perception of what words like "poor," "needy" and "hungry" mean. I used to take them way too literally and feel like a huge jerk because I would read passages like this and think to myself, "why am I not running around to help at every soup kitchen in the country? and why am I not giving all my money away to charity? and more importantly, if God really wants me to do these things, why are the streets not CRAWLING with homeless people? doesn't it kind of have to do with where you live, anyway?" I'm not saying that these verses have no literal meaning, but they also have deep spiritual meaning, too. I can think of plenty of people who "need" God, who are "hungry" for Him and who are "poor" in spirit. God has begun to show me that these people are in just as much of a bind as those who have very tangible physical needs.
what's awesome is that I prayed those verses on Tuesday morning at XA prayer time, and God answered my prayer. I was able to give away my Bible to a friend who needed it, which is the first time that's ever happened. it was also the first time I really feel like I've been able to give extravagantly. it's funny because I've given tithe that definitely outweighs the monetary value of that little Bible I gave away, but giving away my Bible was a lot harder than paying tithe. it was the first Bible I ever bought with my own money. it's one of the few things that I carry with my nearly everywhere I go. I can't exactly even put my finger on the reasons why it was hard to give it away, but part of the difficulty was the appeal.
I want to devote myself to extravagant giving and extravagant servanthood. not because it's fun or makes me look good, but because IT'S FREAKIN' HARD, and God says to do it. God doesn't call us to meagerly give or to treat others nicely, if we have time, or if our schedule permits. He calls us to be radicals-- to "spend ourselves" for the sake of others, like the verses above say. Paul talks about pouring himself out like a drink offering (Phil. 2:17) if it's going to encourage others to a closer faith relationship with God. countless parables that Jesus told are definitely indicative that we need to care about others even more than we do ourselves. to me, the idea of "spending oneself" basically means, "do whatever you can, with whatever energy you possess, to help other people." if it means giving away my favorite Bible, then I'll do it. if it means praying with my roommate or listening when she needs someone to listen, even when all I want to do is go to bed, I'll do it. my next goal is to just do whatever I can for anybody that comes along, which is an infinitely harder task to sustainably commit to doing. but God calls us to the impossible, doesn't He?
"I will waste my life." not "wasting" like most people think of it - wasting money, or time, or opportunities - but I'll waste away in the presence of God. I'll also give of myself and waste away if it's going to benefit other people. God, help me to do that, to put it into practice and habit, and not just say the words that I think You want to hear.