Seeking justice in an unjust world

I just started reading Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost for His Highest” daily devotional yesterday. It was originally published in 1935, but a good read stands the test of time.

“I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:8) This was the scripture verse for today. It was extremely timely for me. (Isn’t God’s word almost always like that?) I want to share this particular devotion:

God promised Jeremiah that He would deliver him personally…Wherever He sends us, He will guard our lives. Our personal property and possessions are a matter of indifference, we have to sit loosely to all those things; if we do not, there will be heartbreak and panic and distress. That is the overshadowing of personal deliverance.

The Sermon on the Mount indicates that when we are on Jesus Christ’s errands, there is no time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, Do not be bothered with whether you are being justly dealt with or not. To look for justice is a sign of deflection from devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we begin to grouse and to indulge in the self-indulgence of self-pity — Why should I be treated like this? If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we meet, whether it is just or unjust. Jesus says — Go steadily on with what I have told you to do and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance. The most devout among us become atheistic in this connection; we do not believe God, we enthrone common sense and tack the name of God on to it. We do lean on our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts.

I’ve been dealing with feelings of being treated unjustly. No matter how open and forthcoming I’ve attempted to be in this particular circumstance, there are those who want to twist words and misinterpret intentions. After a close friend of mine confided in me about a phone conversation she had with one person in particular, I lost my cool. I began to want to seek my own justice — knowing that it was for God to handle and suspecting that I was being tested. Did I pray about it? — yes. Did I seek wise counsel? — yes. Did I attempt to seek my own justice anyway? –yes!

After reading this passage this morning, I realize that I was out of line. If I am to do His will, I’m going to have to learn to just shut up sometimes and let Him take care of the justice part. It’s a huge pill to swallow, especially the shutting up part! May you seek Him with all of your heart today and every day, and let God take care of things in His own perfect time.