Fighting for Justice

Look at this story from Jacob’s life,

38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.” (Genesis 31:38-42)

Jacob trusted God with the injustices in his life. And we should do the same. But why? Why should we trust God with the “unfair” situations of our own lives when we have it in the strength of our own hands to bring resolve? So that we may fight for others. We must fight for the justice of God in the lives of others. If we expend great efforts and time fighting for our rights, where does that leave those who can not fight? Where does that leave the helpless? Who will fight for their rights?

What about the elderly who can’t fend for themselves?
What about the unborn children who have no voice?
What about the alien and stranger who wander in this vast land of ours?
What about the one who is treated as a commodity and trafficked like goods to be sold?

We must leave our issues in His hands while we pursue justice and righteous treatment for those who can not take up their own cause. And indeed, it may cost us our very own lives.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, contemporary of Adolph Hitler, said, “Only he who cries out for the Jews may sing Gregorion chants.” His statement pointed out the inconsistency of singing praises to God while those at our doorstep were in a state of suffering caused by injustice. Lord, open our eyes and give us opportunity to serve You in this way.

I must model my life after our Father. He cares about the needy, to bring goodness and justice -

“but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:24)

"in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy." (Psalm 68:10)

While God does indeed call us to action and to involvement, this is not to the exclusion of prayer. Since our prayers have the power to avail great change, we must also cry out for the ill-treated in our prayer time; and God’s heart may speak to us. I recall a time many years ago where I set aside a day for prayer and fasting. I rose early to begin my prayers and immediately the Lord, the God who cares for much more than we often know, revealed His heart to me and I heard in the depths of my spirit, “My heart breaks for the children of Herzegovina.”
The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was at the time (1992-1995), a war torn country in Europe. I knew little about the country or its situation, but that didn’t matter; God knew, and God cared, and God allowed me to be a part of that care and pray for these children. And the plight of those affected by this war has not stopped - for the children living at that time who still bear the scars of war, and for the children born of sexual crimes who carry that stigma to today.

Will you begin by crying out for those treated unjustly? What an honor to hear the heart of God in prayer that we may pray guided by the passion and concern of things that concern Him. And pray for opportunity to act. You may be the one God chooses to make a difference.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog