Published 6/25/19
Read Isaiah 59:9-13
Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men. We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities: transgressing, and denying the Lord, and turning back from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart lying words.
Reflect
· If we have all fallen short because of sin, then what's the answer?
· Why is it important to leave justice in God's hands?
· What does God's justice look like?
Psychology has shown that our perceptions do not yield a 100 percent carbon copy of reality. That is, our thinking often falls prey to a number of biases.
As we think about justice in a particular situation, a bias called the fundamental attribution error comes into play. Here's how it works: When you see someone do something wrong, you mostly likely will attribute it to something internal - that is, to something about them like their character, personality, intentions, or intelligence. However, if when you yourself do something wrong (even possible the same exact thing), you will attribute it to something external--to the circumstances, not your own character, personality, intentions, or intelligence.
This is why we need to leave justice in God's hands. Only He can see beyond the actions to the heart. In the first part of this chapter, God speaks of the sinfulness of that heart. In spite of what our biased thoughts will tell us, the truth is that we have all fallen short and those sins put up a roadblock between us and God.
The people confess this truth in Isaiah 59: 9-14. In fact, the opening verses acknowledge that they have not found justice and we are all feeling our way along blindly. Thankfully, the chapter doesn't end there. In the closing verses, we read how important justice is to our Lord. A lack of justice displeases Him greatly. He promises to rescue His people from those wrongs. Moreover, he promises to give us his Spirit, allowing us to see beyond our human biases and with his eyes.
Pray
God of Heaven, justice is your armor and saving power your helmet. It's hard for me to not get discouraged when I see so much injustice around me. Help me today to rest in the knowledge of your promises. May I also serve as your hands today, healing the hurts of others and bringing them the freedom that comes from you. In Jesus' Name, Amen.