The justice agenda - understanding God's heart of justice

In our world when something happens that shocks us and makes us sit up; issues of justice can fill our minds and be on the agenda. It can inspire us to fundraise, march/protest, and use our voice to give voice to the voiceless!

I wonder what it is that makes you angry. Where do you see injustice? What bothers you that you see is not right!

Of course, many great people in our world spend their lives fighting injustice, but for so many, it becomes something that occasionally flies onto our radar or we place on our agenda for a time. Not so with God – justice is always on His radar; it’s always on His agenda, but more than that it is part of His good, pleasing, and perfect will for humanity. He is a God of Justice

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 ‘I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, His works are perfect and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He!’

Justice is rooted in His character. The Psalmist declared in Psalm 89:14 that ‘Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of your throne’ and ‘I the Lord love justice’ in Isaiah 61:8. These two words ‘Righteousness and Justice’ are interchangeable in Scripture as one reflects the other. Because God is fully Right, then He is also totally Just. That’s why having been covered in His Righteousness, I now need to live a life of Justice!

Read Leviticus 23:22 and compare with Ruth 2:1-7. What is happening here?

God is passionate about justice in all its forms.

I love this short reflection from the book ‘Just: Imagine’ by Danielle Strickland:

‘Just imagine a world where every Christian and the church as a whole are passionate to live justly. Where Christians toss and turn at night because children die due to a lack of clean water, or because other children step on landmines while they play. A world where the church is restless to do something about poverty, racism, malnutrition, and environmental destruction. A world where Christians all have friends who are poor, friends of another skin colour and ethnicity and friends whose hope has been extinguished.

'A church where our love for God is measured not by how many love songs to Jesus we can sing in an hour but by our actions to bring justice, mercy and faith to other people. Imagine such a world.’

Pray 

Father God – thank you that you always deal with us justly, and you abound in showing mercy. May we always reflect your heart as we encounter situations, circumstances and people that require justice. Help us always to do the right thing! In Jesus Name! Amen!