Day 2: Righteousness and justice
But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by His justice, and the holy God will be proved holy by His righteous acts (Isaiah 5:16).
Our Father in heaven, The heavens proclaim Your righteousness, for You are a God of justice (Psalm 50:6). Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your justice like the great deep (Psalm 36:6).
You are perfect in all Your ways, O Lord! How can You be a God of justice unless You are a God of righteousness? And how can You be a God of righteousness unless You are a God of justice?
Even in our limited human capacity—in our human systems—we understand the need for justice, and we often long for things to be made right. When we are wronged—when we see evil and injustice, oppression and exploitation, abuse and neglect, we demand remedy and restitution, reckoning and redress. How much more so would a God of infinite knowledge, infinite understanding, and infinite wisdom require righteousness, and call evil to account!
Yet many insist on creating an image, their own “god of love” with a skewed idea of indulgent "love" that overlooks righteousness, and justice, and all the other attributes You have revealed in Yourself. But Your love is pure and perfect—and pure and perfect love demands righteousness and justice. We see these attributes celebrated together in the psalmist’s prayer:
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; love and faithfulness go before You (Psalm 89:14).
Father, You will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity (Psalm 98:9). The prophet Daniel recounted his vision of the time of judgment: As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. The court was seated, and the books were opened (Daniel 7:9-10).
You, O Father, are the Ancient of Days. You alone have the complete record of human history. You have heard every cry for justice, every prayer for vindication. You see the hearts that have been broken, the lives that have been shattered by inequity, and ruthlessness, and victimization. And You have promised to right every wrong. You will untangle all that we question, challenge, struggle to understand, even rail against.
But You are a God of impartial justice. Where we only see things from our own perspective You see all things—know all things. And we too, are guilty of wrongs against others, and against You. We all will have to give an account of ourselves before You. Before You Sovereign, Almighty God every knee will bow, and every tongue acknowledge God (Romans 14:11-12).
Help us, even now to trust You, even when unrighteousness and injustice seem to thrive. Keep our hearts from hatred, bitterness and rebellion. Keep our minds from doubting, and from challenging Your Sovereign will and timing.
Help us not to create our own image of God, because we refuse to accept the God who far exceeds our limited dimensions. Help us not to be those of whom it is written, "people will be brought low and everyone humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled" (Isaiah 5:15).
Eventually, Lord, every heart will know that Your judgments are true and good, and right, and sure. And You will be exalted by Your justice and proved holy by Your righteous acts (Isaiah 5:16).
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