Where Is The Justice?
BRD REFLECTIONS:
Job 21 and Psalm 119:169-176 (NIV)
(Tony Yeo, Steward, LCEC)
READ:
Job 21 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
In this passage, Job rebuts his friend Zophar who tries to convince Job in Job 20 that God will punish the wicked.
Job tells Zophar that he is wrong. He says that the wicked gets away with everything. They grow old and increase their power (v.7). They live without fear (v.9) and their children appear to be blessed and they seemingly appear to escape any punishment from God. They seem to prosper and go to their graves in peace (v.13). They could even tell God to leave them alone (v.14) and get away with it.
Job is suffering and he is perplexed as to why the wicked are not punished fast enough. He wonders why God allows such unfairness and injustice. He also wonders why God seemingly allows the wicked to be honoured and get away with their wicked deeds. He is bitter and angry. Job openly questions, where is the justice?
APPLY:
How often have we asked these same questions? How many times have we suffered injustice at our workplaces and in our personal lives? Injustice caused by wicked men who seem out to get us, causing us such misery. Yet these same men seem to live charmed lives, always prospering from their wickedness and seemingly free from God’s wrath. Despite our prayers for justice to prevail, it does not seem to happen and their sins never seem to catch up with them.
Where is the justice?
But are these questions for us to ask? Is not our God, the Sovereign God? Is not punishment for wickedness, for Him to mete out and not for us to question?
But as Job eventually asked, “Can anyone teach knowledge to God”(v.22)? No one can question God’s understanding and His perfect timing. Some will say, you Christians are always trying to sweep all injustices under the carpet by saying that God will punish the wicked. In the meantime, you simply grind your teeth and suffer. But that is exactly what sets us, the followers of Christ, apart from the world. We have faith in God and trust Him and His Word completely to put us through what we need to go through, knowing at the same time that He will never test us beyond what we “can bear” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The wicked will eventually be held accountable for what they have done. The wicked and all the nations that forget God “shall be turned into hell” (Psalm 9:17 KJV). On the last day, all will be judged on what they have done (Revelation 20:13). Be assured that God will deal with them according to His will and in His time.
DO:
I have experienced bitterness myself. Perhaps not as severely as Job did but enough for me to ask the same question that Job asked, “Where is the justice?”
I have realised over time that what God puts me through is for a purpose and usually temporal. Sometimes, it is for me to learn a lesson and at other times, it is to show me how His miracles can turn things around positively, in a completely unexpected way.
What I have learnt are the ABC points to give me peace in life:
- Accept that life will never be smooth just because I follow Jesus. Accept that there will be troubles that will come my way. Accept there will be wicked people who will cross my path and make my life miserable.
- Believe in the Word and that God will always be with me. Believe that He will never test me beyond what I can bear. Believe also that His justice will be upon the wicked. It is not for me to bring His justice to bear. Trust in God’s timing.
- Call to mind all the times when God was there for me. How His miracles turned my life around. Call to mind all the times when I wanted doors to be opened because I thought that they were right for me but God closed them because they were not. He then opened doors that were right for me but I did not even know existed. This is my loving God.
PRAY:
Dear Lord, I recognise that there will be injustice in life I cannot reconcile with. I recognize that I will be bitter and may even want to take justice in my own hands as I am frustrated and cannot wait for Your justice.
I pray that at these times, I will recall Your Word. I will believe in Your Word and call upon Your justice to be served and for “ Your will to be done”, not mine and in so doing, experience the peace that Your son Jesus promised.
I also pray for You to “forgive my trespasses as I forgive those who have trespassed against me”.
In Jesus’ most precious name I pray, Amen.
