Hello my friends!  For some of you, the title of todays WFTD is seemingly contradictory.  We know that God is just, and yet there is injustice in the world we live in, so how do we deal with this?  Some people would have you believe that God is not sovereign over all things, to which I would say, if someone is taking advantage of another, and God is powerless to do anything about it, then God isn’t God.  Rather, God allows injustice, not because He is powerless to stop it, but because God is using it to accomplish His purposes, which are good.

As a believer, how do you respond to injustice?  How do you respond when you are wronged?  These times can be very helpful in gauging where your heart is truly at.  Do you run to find comfort apart from God in sin, or do you cling to God during these times?  At first this may seem hard, and I definitely admit that it is against your flesh to do so.  What can be helpful, I believe, is to see God’s good purpose in injustice, for believers.  Why does He do it?

1)  To strengthen and grow the faith of the believer

James 1:2-4 – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

2)  To provide an opportunity to reveal to the world through the believer His glory as being infinitely more valuable than what is lost in injustice

Philippians 3:7-8 – “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

3)  To accomplish His sovereign will to sustain and grow His Kingdom

Genesis 50:17-21 (After Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery, but Joseph became a ruler in Egypt in charge of excess food when there was a famine in his native land) – “Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”

4)  To provide an opportunity to love our enemies, and make Christ’s glory known in a personal way to someone

Luke 6:32-36 – “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if youlend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

5)  To remind us that this fallen world is not our home

Romans 8:18-21 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

My encouragement today is when injustice happens to you (and it will), do not run from God, but run to Him.  When things are at their worst, and every hope that this world has for you is lost, cling to hope you have apart from the world, the only lasting Hope you have, the Hope you have in Christ.  Cling to the cross, the shed blood of Christ for you, and know that God is good and in control.  The most unjust act of all time was a perfectly righteous God, being condemned and bearing the punishment for sin that was not His.  This is the hope and joy we carry with us day to day, that our future is secure because at the appointed time, the Righteous died for the unrighteous, that those of us who were far from God, would be brought near, and the justice of God has triumph over the injustice of the world.

Grace and Peace,
Adam