Psalm 7:9 O righteous God,
who searches minds and hearts,
bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure.

This is a prayer a lot of people pray these days, I think. The whole Psalm is a plea for justice, and brings to mind the recent case where a young man was legally hounded for having defended himself, but was finally declared not guilty of all charges. God does that for us too, when our hearts are stayed on Him. The world is a mess, as usual, and if we focus on an individual wrong, or even a collection of wrongs, it is the most natural thing in the world to become negative and depressed. We need to remember, as David did, that God indeed “searches minds and hearts.” He knows not only what people do, but why they do those things. That’s why we can trust His justice. That’s not at all to say that we aren’t to strive for justice on the human scale, but rather that we are to rest in the assurance that even those who seem to get away with evil don’t, in the final analysis. I’m reminded of a case in the American Southwest, where a man who had committed a particularly heinous murder escaped into the desert, only to be found dead from dehydration several days later. The lawman who found his body wrote on the report, “Remanded to a higher court.” We are to be instruments of righteousness and at times justice, but we must remember that we are all subject to the judgment of the Creator of the universe.

Like most people, I have a tendency to justify myself and my actions, and that can get dangerous. My pride and self-righteousness just about sank me totally at one point! As I deal with sinners all around me, I’ve got to remember that I too am a sinner, just as Paul did. (1 Timothy 1:15-16) The evil and injustice in the world can get me very stirred up at times, but I’ve got to remember that “Man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1:20) I’ve also got to remember that “For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’” (Hebrews 10:30) I am to stand up for righteousness and justice, but at the same time not think that it all depends on me. I couldn’t begin to carry that load! I’ve got to release each situation, whether it involves me directly or not, to the Lord, trusting Him to work His justice, mercy, and grace, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. There’s certainly a lot of injustice on display in the world today! Thank You for telling me directly over 20 years ago that You’re not happy with a lot of what’s going on. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice, just as You told me to, so that I may be useful to You and not get in Your way, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!