Trust the Judge of all the earth
Trust the Judge
Please give yourself the time to click on the link to the Bible passages
before you read the blog.
Over the past year, 43,000 Palestinians have suffered and Gaza lies in
ruins. Amidst the battles over borders and land between leaders and terrorists,
local people endure the bitter oppression of homelessness and starvation. Doesn’t
your heart groan? I feel helpless to console them.
Conflict and
oppression have a long history in Israel. The land promised to Abraham by God
has been a perpetual source of trouble, the promise always falling short of
complete fulfillment. How much longer will the trauma persist? World leaders convene
endless summits and supply arms, but lasting peace will only arrive in Israel
when the Messiah returns to reign during the Millennium.
Israel and
Palestine are not alone in her struggles. The entire creation labors under suffering,
whether it’s an oil spill on Bondi Beach destroying flora and fauna, a young
David fleeing from Saul or a modern day orphan, eking out an existence on the
back streets of Calcutta. The mentally ill struggle with their demons, the
poverty-stricken are weak and hungry, and everyone struggles with the root
cause, sin, on some level within ourselves or in others.
What is
your Goliath? Is it spiritual or physical? When I face impossible situations, I
readily admit my pleas to God grow desperate. Perhaps David’s heart-rending cries
to God will comfort me because his faith wavered but never disappeared amidst
injustice, betrayal, and oppression.
David begins Psalm 9 with praise to God! Some
Hebrew scholars believe he composed it after he’d killed Goliath, the
Philistine. If this is right, he was praising God for the nation’s deliverance.
When the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Sokoh, Goliath had
taunted the entire Israel army, driving them to despair. They were no match for
the giant. As David aimed his slingshot, God directed that stone in Goliath’s
temple. The mighty man sank face down onto the ground.
In
Psalm 10, David agonized over the arrogant injustice hurled against his people.
“In his arrogance, the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in his
schemes. He blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.” Psalm 10:2.
And then
it hits me. Although I don’t doubt God’s existence, I wonder why he isn’t dealing
with the wicked as they continue on their merry way. God is supposed to be
compassionate and supply my needs. Like David, I wonder why the Lord who could
deliver him is distant. Have you felt this too?
You wait, and the years slip past. Your problem is unresolved and your oppressors sneer at you, lying through their teeth, confident in their own abilities. They forget God is watching them, preferring to believe he’s an opiate for the weak.
Ancient Hebrew writers didn’t invent God. He created them and inspired men, such as David, to record their thoughts and fears. Long after the arrogant have been lowered into their graves, God will reign. Let's remember that and praise him.
“The
Lord is king forever and ever. The godless nations will vanish from the land.
Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you have heard their cries and
comfort them. You will bring justice to orphans and the oppressed, so mere men
can no longer terrify them.” Psalm 10:16-18.
If God
regards time from the perspective of eternity, days and years become his
servants as he fulfills his purposes. Imagine the millions of lives he is
weaving together through passing eras. Every life affects another, and we are precious
gold strands in the colorful tapestry he's weaving to complete his eternal purposes.
As I wait and my sorrow overwhelms me, I
remember what the Lord has already done for me and countless past generations. He
created the world and gave humanity the responsibility to rule over it, but when
Adam and his descendants failed, corruption and oppression resulted in gross
injustice. Yet I remember God parted the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians.
His mercy did not fail, despite their sins.
Jesus Emmanuel, God in human form, healed the
sick and exposed the arrogance of the Pharisees. One rich man, Zacchaeus, had
robbed his very own people and grown rich on his ill-gotten gains. Did Jesus condemn
him? Never, although he didn’t condone his conduct, Jesus ate at his house and
led him to repent of the evil he’d inflicted on his fellow citizens. Since God
doesn’t want anyone to perish, he extends grace to all
who will seek it.
How did David navigate difficulties? After he had pleaded for mercy, he relied on God and waited for his deliverance. God provides daily strength because we live one day at a time, renewing his mercies as we need them. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, and he will deal with our afflictions with righteousness and justice.
Remember, if you love Jesus, one day you will see his face as he welcomes you home. Meanwhile, there's a place of quiet rest near to God's heart.
My impossible situation is not impossible with God, but he asks me to place the future into his care. Can you and will you by relying on his comforting Holy Spirit? He’s worthy of our trust and our praise because he rules over every generation as they pass through this world.
Praise the Lord and tell the world about his wonders. Psalm 9:1.
The Lord be with you and keep you in his loving
arms as you deal with life’s struggles.
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