Midweek Message: Divine Equity

Psalm 9:7-8 The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.

He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. (NIV)

We live in troubled times and as Christians, we probably find it hard to see where God is working in the world. There are moments when I get overwhelmed with a great sadness for the amount of cruelty and injustice, inhumanity and hostility that is taking place, not just around the globe, but in our beloved and beleaguered nation.

When I read about innocent people being unjustly targeted, assaulted, imprisoned, and even killed, simply because they are immigrants, I get angry and often ask God what He is doing about it. It seems to me that cruel people, who even have the audacity to call themselves Christians, are corrupting and controlling our society in unjust and unaccountable ways. And because we are going through a time of unease and uncertainty, many good people say or do nothing, allowing evil to triumph and bullies to lead.

I guess that the ancient songwriter who wrote the ninth psalm understood some of the angst we share today. His world was also upended by cruelty and division, fear and anxiety, but despite these issues and concerns, he held on to his faith in God – a God who ultimately would judge the world with divine equity – seeing people for who they were and offering no favoritism to people in power, but rather siding with the marginalized and the oppressed, the victimized and powerless.

Perhaps we can apply our faith in a similar manner during these immoderate times. The proud and the arrogant, the brazen and the bigoted do not go unnoticed by God. They may make gains in the short term and circumvent the laws of the land, but eventually their ruin and downfall will occur because unlike them, the Lord reigns forever and rules the world with righteousness and judges the people with equity.

Point to ponder: How often do I struggle with what’s happening in today’s world? Am I willing to put my faith in God’s justice?

Prayer: Lord God, You know how unjust the world can be, for even Your Son was not spared from the cruelty and inhumanity of men. When we are perplexed, be our patience; when we are lost, lead us gently; when we are downhearted, raise our spirits. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

 

Midweek Message: From a Distance

Psalm 10:1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? (NIV)

              I love the absolute honesty in the Book of Psalms. Whoever wrote those ancient poems certainly wore his heart on his sleeve. Psalm 10 is a good example of someone who finds it difficult to deal with the greed and injustice in his society. His complaint to God is that the rich get richer, the wicked become more powerful, and the proud are brazen about their vanity. If ever a psalm was written for our times, this one is very fitting, meaningful, and relevant.

              The psalmist’s complaint, however, is directed at God for what appears to be God’s absence in the midst of so much injustice. The ancient poet finds it difficult to see what is happening around him and that the God of his heart is doing nothing to change things. God appears to be impotent, unmoved, and distant. Evil triumphs when God is silent; good is cast aside when God does not respond. The author states that he has personally put a lot of time, commitment, and devotion into his religious belief. He is perplexed when God is inactive; he is deeply disappointed when God does not challenge or remove the evildoers.

              Sometimes I deal with the same frustration. I want things to be fair and just for everyone. I want the world to be a place that is free from fear or cruelty. I want the oppressed to be delivered and the marginalized to be accepted. I want all sorts of real godliness to be apparent in our leaders. But when these things don’t happen, I want God to come bursting into our world to set things right, to make things smooth, to restore hope, peace, and love for everyone.

              And then I remember that God has already done these things on the Cross at Calvary. Every mistake has been pinned to that tree of shame. Every sin has been nailed to Christ’s broken body. Every injustice has been impaled on Jesus. Instead of being at a distance, God has come beside us; instead of being far off, God through Christ has penetrated our unjust society and is present in our painful times.

Point to ponder

What things would I like God to change in my community, society, and the world? What am I personally doing to accomplish those changes?

Prayer: Lord God, it’s very easy for us to complain and shift the responsibility for our broken and divided world onto someone else. We forget our sinful part and ignore our unjust ways. None of us are perfect; not one of us is innocent. Challenge us to be changemakers; teach us to lovingly transform our community; encourage us to get involved. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Seeing God - 1 John 4:12

1 John 4:12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (NIV)

            One of my favorite hymns was written by a Scottish minister, Walter Chalmers Smith. The song is called “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise.” It’s one of a handful of traditional hymns that I can recite perfectly so whenever we sing it in church, I close my eyes and meditate on the beautiful lyrics.

            To me, the words describe the absolute majesty of God and how His glorious shekinah veils Him from our eyes. God is invisible not because He wants to hide from us, but because His glory is so bright that it does not register on our vision’s wavelength. God’s presence is always with us because we exist in His reality, not our own. He sees us perfectly, but we can only get a glimpse of God in how we love one another, according to the Apostle John. This means that if we truly want to see God in our lives, we need to become vessels of His love and grace.

            Sadly, we live in a world which is broken by disunity and dimmed by fear. We stumble in the dark because of our selfish and antagonistic ways. Pride overshadows our society and greed blots out our generosity. We are in danger of going down a blind alley created out of arrogance and vanity, bigotry and hatred. In other words, we are potentially doomed to become lost because our sins will eventually engulf us, casting us on a path to perdition and destruction.

            The only way to overcome this shadowing of our world is through the light of God’s love. There is no other substantive way or effective presence to remedy our self-inflicted plight other than our love for one another and the abundant sharing of God’s grace. As Christians, we have the capacity to change the entire world into a better planet for people everywhere, but only if we are willing to let others see God actively, graciously, and lovingly at work in our hearts and lives. For only then will the glory (Shekinah) of the Lord be seen; only then will the immortal, invisible God appear in our world.

Point to ponder

Where can I let God’s love through me lighten my community today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You once told Your followers that they were the light of the world. Help us in this generation to become those same vessels of light and grace that our planet desperately needs. May God’s loving presence become evident in all that we say and do. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s psalm drawings based on Psalm 24 v 1. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm24.

If you would like to watch and listen to a wonderful version of the hymn “Immortal, Invisible,” please click this link: HYMN

All Things - Romans 8 v 28

Romans 8:28   And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)

            We all woke up to a different world today. For some folks, it appears to be a new beginning; for others, it seems like a fearful time. Whatever we feel, the real work of healing begins today and, as I have written and preached for the last couple of weeks, this is why the Church exists and this is what we as Christians are called to do.

            It won’t be easy, but our faith has always had to climb mountains and struggle with society. As Christians, we believe in the Sovereignty of God, so we have to find His purposes and follow His path. If, like the Apostle Paul, we earnestly believe that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, then we understand that God is in control. For some folks, this may not be easy to accept or even see right now, but this is why we are called to be servants of God’s Kingdom, especially here on Earth.

            The future may appear uncertain and insecure for a while, but it has never been held in our hands anyway. God always holds tomorrow in His hands; our role is to ensure that He holds us in His hands today. Or to paraphrase what Jesus once said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow; there is enough to deal with what’s going on today.”

            May God be with you wherever you venture today. May His Spirit abide within you and may Christ always direct your path so that you keep traveling with Him. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

            John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

            Today’s image is one of John’s old crayon/digital drawings called “A New Earth.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on this link: New Earth.