The Holy One calls to me this morning. The past few weeks have been very hard for me and my family. The dust from the battlefield here on earth threatened to choke out and smother hope. The night was short with intervals of interrupted sleep as evil pressed down his interpretation of my family's life events.
My heart cries out for what my mind cannot comprehend: "Why did the fervent prayers of the saints go unanswered?" His gentle voice comforts my ache, "All is well with your soul and I am in control". Yesterday was an intense time of processing all that has happened in a trial of the deepest kind for this momma to have to watch.
I have been through many rough seas and dark waters in my life, but standing on the shore watching my children and grandchildren in the raging storm is by far a greater agony than being in it myself. I know the personal feeling of the fear, the hopelessness, the power of the waves, the taste of the salt, whether it be from the ocean or the tears running down my face. I know the sense of abandonment and loss, wondering where is the rescue boat or even the little yellow life preserver: won't anyone come to my aid?
I have walked through the death of a father, brother and husband having to say goodbye at the gateway of eternity but death has always made sense to me. Death is final here, the time is over and regrets are pointless since they do not change this life with that person.
Hope for a future reunion after death draws me into the sweet mercies of my Lord, but divorce and it's devastating effects is another story, especially when it comes with betrayal, infidelity, lies, and other forms of emotional abuse to include the attempted destruction of the parent child bond and theft of time needed to fulfill that sacred role as a parent in the lives of your children who are God's gift and also responsibility.
My heart cries out, "Lord how did you emotionally deal with your Judas? I need to understand so I can deal with mine"
In our society today, we witness such disdain for the institution of marriage. Those of us who are "old fashioned" enough to believe it to be the very foundation upon which a peaceful society rests and operates in Divine order are mocked and suffer severe forms of character assassination.
Out of that backdrop comes questions of the deepest sort that vex my mind. The questions seem to my human mind to be irreverent and disrespectful if they are properly identified. "You think I am being unfair. You wonder where is equal justice? We can talk about this if you like" His invitation is such a relief. The questions I do not even want to think about asking, have answers the Holy Spirit is willing to give.
The questions are many but the biggest one is regarding the matter of "justice". The courts of men in our "republic" form of government, is the place where we are to have our issues of disagreement resolved. The foundation and the constitution at the base of our freedom shouts out "equal justice for all". Unfortunately our family experience has been anything but that. It seems that my fervent prayers for God's equal justice have been rejected or denied.
I have been told and agree that I must never judge THE Judge of all matters, but the questions roll through my mind and He knows each one. So I ask, "Where is the "equal justice for all", that I trust you provide? You have seen the betrayal, covenant trashing, rebellion of your word and the mercilessness breaking of hearts. I know you hear our cries for rescue so what can I trust when I see such injustice and the defeat of the "righteous cause" at the hand of those who seem to be so full of evil deeds?
I brace myself for His answer as he takes me to Job 38:1-7 "Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said, "Who is this that darkens My counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man. I will question you and you will answer Me. Where were you when I layed the earth's foundation? Tell me if you understand who marked off it's dimensions, surely you know! Who stretched out a measuring line across it? One what were it's footings set? Or who layed it's cornerstone while all the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?"
God's power and Sovereignty can never be challenged. Expecting His personal word to echo His written one, I am relieved at the gentleness of His voice to my heart.
"In the matter of My justice, all humans have sinned and all humans are guilty. All humans have fallen short of My Holy requirements and are subject to the penalty for their failure: Death for sin. I have provided equal justice for all men through the substitutionary death of the One man: Jesus, my Only begotten Son. For all who agree and accept that His death paid their sin debt, all are acquitted. That is My equal justice."
Jesus was sent to pay the debt owed by everyone ever born. God's equal justice is in the fact that all have been provided an escape from the penalty for every wicked thing they have ever done. All are guilty but anyone can be set free from the debt of their sin. That is equal justice for all, and not dependant on where you live, how much money you have, how many good deeds you have or haven't done or any of the other conditions that we might base our idea of temporal justice on. Jesus came to rescue all "sinners" before and not after they became "saints".
As I meditate on His words, I realize that He wants me to make a distinction between His Holy Eternal Justice and man's temporal attempt to judge the matters of concern in this life. The reminder this morning is that I need to first settle the question in my mind as to God's equal justice for all. What I see unfolding in the courts of men is not a representation of nor can it every be compared to His. Having resolved the bigger issue, I have the peace to process the smaller one.
As Christians we may be called into places where evil has been unchallenged and we are to make a stand for a "righteous cause". The persecution we face in our righteous cause or holy stand, can shake us at the foundation of our faith. We will do well to remember to make that stand here in the humility of God's Holy equal justice. We must never lose our connection with the righteous cause Giver or the Holy stand Maker, and come to terms with the persecution that will follow, even if the cause is in the name of social justice.
God's move through our lives will always find resistance, from dark spirits and fallen men. That resistance is not to be confused with the Lord's denial of our petitions. I am so happy that the Holy One draws me in to discuss such things when it would be so easy to turn away discouraged.
The view from earth is vastly different than the view from Heaven, and I have been privileged to see the higher perspective in this morning's conference. The matter of my question about equal justice on earth requires a little more time and a little more patience for the Holy One to have His final word even in the corrupt courts of men. I remember one story of Divine intervention where there was the "handwriting on the wall" spelling out that on the scale of God's Holy standards, the king was weighed and found wanting.
Is our Sovereign God in Heaven interested in social justice here? I am convinced that He is. Earthly justice is a different matter but still important in the eyes of our Heavenly Judge. Hope for Divine resolution offsets the painful travesty of my current situation. I am thankful today, not for the right to demand equal justice on earth, but for the grace to trust that it is coming.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
My heart cries out for what my mind cannot comprehend: "Why did the fervent prayers of the saints go unanswered?" His gentle voice comforts my ache, "All is well with your soul and I am in control". Yesterday was an intense time of processing all that has happened in a trial of the deepest kind for this momma to have to watch.
I have been through many rough seas and dark waters in my life, but standing on the shore watching my children and grandchildren in the raging storm is by far a greater agony than being in it myself. I know the personal feeling of the fear, the hopelessness, the power of the waves, the taste of the salt, whether it be from the ocean or the tears running down my face. I know the sense of abandonment and loss, wondering where is the rescue boat or even the little yellow life preserver: won't anyone come to my aid?
I have walked through the death of a father, brother and husband having to say goodbye at the gateway of eternity but death has always made sense to me. Death is final here, the time is over and regrets are pointless since they do not change this life with that person.
Hope for a future reunion after death draws me into the sweet mercies of my Lord, but divorce and it's devastating effects is another story, especially when it comes with betrayal, infidelity, lies, and other forms of emotional abuse to include the attempted destruction of the parent child bond and theft of time needed to fulfill that sacred role as a parent in the lives of your children who are God's gift and also responsibility.
My heart cries out, "Lord how did you emotionally deal with your Judas? I need to understand so I can deal with mine"
In our society today, we witness such disdain for the institution of marriage. Those of us who are "old fashioned" enough to believe it to be the very foundation upon which a peaceful society rests and operates in Divine order are mocked and suffer severe forms of character assassination.
Out of that backdrop comes questions of the deepest sort that vex my mind. The questions seem to my human mind to be irreverent and disrespectful if they are properly identified. "You think I am being unfair. You wonder where is equal justice? We can talk about this if you like" His invitation is such a relief. The questions I do not even want to think about asking, have answers the Holy Spirit is willing to give.
The questions are many but the biggest one is regarding the matter of "justice". The courts of men in our "republic" form of government, is the place where we are to have our issues of disagreement resolved. The foundation and the constitution at the base of our freedom shouts out "equal justice for all". Unfortunately our family experience has been anything but that. It seems that my fervent prayers for God's equal justice have been rejected or denied.
I have been told and agree that I must never judge THE Judge of all matters, but the questions roll through my mind and He knows each one. So I ask, "Where is the "equal justice for all", that I trust you provide? You have seen the betrayal, covenant trashing, rebellion of your word and the mercilessness breaking of hearts. I know you hear our cries for rescue so what can I trust when I see such injustice and the defeat of the "righteous cause" at the hand of those who seem to be so full of evil deeds?
I brace myself for His answer as he takes me to Job 38:1-7 "Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said, "Who is this that darkens My counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man. I will question you and you will answer Me. Where were you when I layed the earth's foundation? Tell me if you understand who marked off it's dimensions, surely you know! Who stretched out a measuring line across it? One what were it's footings set? Or who layed it's cornerstone while all the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?"
God's power and Sovereignty can never be challenged. Expecting His personal word to echo His written one, I am relieved at the gentleness of His voice to my heart.
"In the matter of My justice, all humans have sinned and all humans are guilty. All humans have fallen short of My Holy requirements and are subject to the penalty for their failure: Death for sin. I have provided equal justice for all men through the substitutionary death of the One man: Jesus, my Only begotten Son. For all who agree and accept that His death paid their sin debt, all are acquitted. That is My equal justice."
Jesus was sent to pay the debt owed by everyone ever born. God's equal justice is in the fact that all have been provided an escape from the penalty for every wicked thing they have ever done. All are guilty but anyone can be set free from the debt of their sin. That is equal justice for all, and not dependant on where you live, how much money you have, how many good deeds you have or haven't done or any of the other conditions that we might base our idea of temporal justice on. Jesus came to rescue all "sinners" before and not after they became "saints".
As I meditate on His words, I realize that He wants me to make a distinction between His Holy Eternal Justice and man's temporal attempt to judge the matters of concern in this life. The reminder this morning is that I need to first settle the question in my mind as to God's equal justice for all. What I see unfolding in the courts of men is not a representation of nor can it every be compared to His. Having resolved the bigger issue, I have the peace to process the smaller one.
As Christians we may be called into places where evil has been unchallenged and we are to make a stand for a "righteous cause". The persecution we face in our righteous cause or holy stand, can shake us at the foundation of our faith. We will do well to remember to make that stand here in the humility of God's Holy equal justice. We must never lose our connection with the righteous cause Giver or the Holy stand Maker, and come to terms with the persecution that will follow, even if the cause is in the name of social justice.
God's move through our lives will always find resistance, from dark spirits and fallen men. That resistance is not to be confused with the Lord's denial of our petitions. I am so happy that the Holy One draws me in to discuss such things when it would be so easy to turn away discouraged.
The view from earth is vastly different than the view from Heaven, and I have been privileged to see the higher perspective in this morning's conference. The matter of my question about equal justice on earth requires a little more time and a little more patience for the Holy One to have His final word even in the corrupt courts of men. I remember one story of Divine intervention where there was the "handwriting on the wall" spelling out that on the scale of God's Holy standards, the king was weighed and found wanting.
Is our Sovereign God in Heaven interested in social justice here? I am convinced that He is. Earthly justice is a different matter but still important in the eyes of our Heavenly Judge. Hope for Divine resolution offsets the painful travesty of my current situation. I am thankful today, not for the right to demand equal justice on earth, but for the grace to trust that it is coming.
The Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
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