Heart's Cry

Its been quite a while.  I plead the excuse that I have had a major presentation and major paper due at school!  It ate up a great deal of time and brain power the last two weeks.  But here, at last,  is a post continuing our discussion of Psalm 139.

A fundamental urge for human beings is a need for justice and fairness.  I know this is the case.  I have run a youth group for many years.  The single most common phrase you hear kids in youth group yell is “That’s not fair!” Yes, its true. When you are playing games, and anything seems to smack of the slightest favoritism, or if, as Pastor/Referee you miss some “Obvious” foul, those kids are very quick to point out your error.  “No Fair!”

Why do we worry about fairness or about justice?  What is it that sits inside of us and is moved to cry out “Injustice!” or “Unfair!” or some such?  Entire movements, even nations have been built over the issue of what is fair or not fair, what is just or unjust.  Great social upheavels and reveloutions began over the perception that there are inequities.  Why do we have that feeling?

Injustice also drives people to become judges, or enter law enforcement.  It drives people to become politicians.  We even see people who enter the corporate world with a desire to make things right.  

But who do we appeal to when we try to do the right thing and the “system” still seems to be against us?  Who is our court that we go to when the movement we began shifts focus and itself becomes unjust? 

This is what David does when he finds injustice, wickedness, tyrranny in his presence.  He appeals to God:

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!  20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.  21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up against you?  22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 

I know that we struggle with verses like these when he find them in scripture.  But what do we do with our anger and our outrage when babies are robbed of their right to life? What do we with our pain when we see court decisions that diminish human rights?  When dictators slaughter their people or spray them with toxic gasses?  What do we do when we feel that inner scream rise when a friend stands falsely accused and the system is working against them? 

Of course we pray!  That’s one response. We pray for those who are persecuting, and for their enlightenement in Christ.  But psalms like this also invite us to come and bring our anger, pain, outrage to God. And he does not turn us away.  Its a faith response when we appeal to the highest court of all and beg God for His intervention.

And the amazing thing is, there WILL be justice.  In the end, God will mete out perfect equity and justice.  There will not be anyone who ultimately gets away with murder.  And those falsely accused and judged will also have that made back up to them.  God WILL make it right.  Of course we would like to see Him make it right, now!  But sometimes that does not happen. God will answer our heart cry for that justice. So cry out to Him as David did. But remember also, to pray for a blessing on your enemies, and that they would find Christ.  That is what the New Testament adds to our understanding. Remember, as Paul said:

[O]ur struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms  (Eph 6:12).