Psalm 96:10-13
Get out the message—God Rules!
He put the world on a firm foundation;
He treats everyone fair and square.
Let's hear it from Sky,
With Earth joining in,
And a huge round of applause from Sea.
Let Wilderness turn cartwheels,
Animals, come dance,
Put every tree of the forest in the choir—
An extravaganza before God as he comes,
As he comes to set everything right on earth,
Set everything right, treat everyone fair.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
“It’s not fair!” If you have never uttered this sentence, you must be an alien from another planet! We all feel that life isn’t fair at some point… that we have not been treated well… that the world is spinning off its axis. And we complain loudly to anyone and everyone who will listen – especially God!
What we often fail to recognize is that many of the indignities and injustices we feel are being imposed on us are very much like those we impose on God! We go days/weeks/months without speaking to Him. We disappoint… speak unkindly… even lie to create the situation we prefer over that we know is honorable to God… we manipulate, whine, complain, disrespect, and more. And remember… any time we do this to another living being, we are doing these things to God, too!
Still, God comes and sets everything right. This is not a license to take Him for granted, but rather, a call to recognize His power, grace and mercy. God treats everyone fairly… He loves each of us and orchestrates the events of our lives - often showering us with undeserved blessings.
Much of life is not fair… or conducted on our terms. And I’m learning that often, when I call out to God, “This is not fair!” or “I am hurt and upset by this,” He answers… “Now you know how I feel sometimes.” I’m not saying God wants us to be hurt or feel mistreated… but sometimes these experiences humble us to the “log in our own eye,” so to speak, and help us to see how we are treating others… and God. When we realize how merciful He is to us in spite of our behavior that, frankly, is often quite awful… we see how much He loves us… how worthy He is of our constant praise.
Today, examine areas of your life where you feel you have been treated unfairly – and where you might have doled out that same treatment to others. Think about how you treat God… how much of your time and attention you give Him (and I’m talking about time spent loving, praising, and worshipping – not asking for something from Him). Praise God for loving us so well… treating us so fairly… and setting everything right on earth.
©2011 Debbie Robus
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