Eyes Of Love And Justice

O LORD, the God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth! Arise, O Judge of the earth. Give the proud what they deserve. [Psalm 94.1-2]

I think today I have seen an important fact about my relationship with God as it pertains to evil in the world. What I see is critical.

Admittedly, I have read the Psalms for many years now and have increasingly become uncomfortable with passages like the one above. But my discomfort is good. It gives me insight into what God aptly deals with as God Almighty, LORD of heaven and earth, every day.

There is a balance in the life of every believer to understand that God is love and that God is just. Many a believer has erred by imbalance in their understanding of these characteristics.

As believers in God as love, it is the Christ-follower's duty to love mankind. However, it is incumbent upon that same Christ-follower to be just as zealous for God's justice toward mankind. And, this is what we see in so many of the Psalms as sampled in Psalm 94.1-2 today. It is indeed a balancing act to comprehend God's love for the world and so, love people accordingly, but also to comprehend God's justice and so, declare and welcome His justice.

If I am understanding this as I should, I am to love people - even people who are evil and treat me and others badly. I am not to retaliate, but instead, to trust God. However, my trust in God as love should be no less than my trust in God as just. My worship of God for His love is completely out of balance unless I worship Him equally for His justice. To declare the love of God without declaring His justice is a dangerous misrepresentation of Who God Is (although very common in the modern Church).

I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.’ [Deuteronomy 32.35]

Can we worship God as the God of vengeance and then still maintain compassion for people? Yes, we can, but only as we mature in God's Word and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.

If we can see it, this is exactly how Jesus lived on earth. His compassion for people was evident. But then, He actually called those who opposed Him a brood of snakes whose father was the devil.

As I write this, I am dealing with a person who has categorically rejected my attempts to do well by him. I have been suppressing a lot of anger toward this person in effort to stay within the realm of 1 Corinthians 13:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. [1 Corinthians 13.4-7]

But then as I have been reading some of the Psalms in the last couple of days, I see the Psalmist declaring God's vengeance upon his enemies. Is this wrong, or is it right? Today, finally, I believe it is right.

I remain committed to God's desire for everyone, including the person opposing me right now, to be saved and understand the truth and pray for that accordingly:

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. [1 Timothy 2.1-4] 

But I also complete my prayer to declare God's justice (not mine) upon that person.

O LORD, the God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth! Arise, O Judge of the earth. Give the proud what they deserve. [Psalm 94.1-2]

Today marks the beginning of this understanding in my life. And, as I understand this, I have peace in the midst of all the turmoil in knowing there is balance. In effect, I praise God for His love and His justice as His character would be incomplete without both. I look through "two eyes," love and justice, in order to have proper focus (God focus) on the world in which I live.

Father, may I not lose focus of the world and the circumstances in which I find myself. May I understand that love and justice bring spiritual focus on this world in the same way two eyes insure physical focus. Be glorified in me as I see with eyes of both love and justice. May my "vision" through both these eyes be healthy in order to effectively share and declare Your vision of the world. So be it.