If You Want a Different Result....

   

 The King in his might loves justice.
        You have established equity;
    you have executed justice
        and righteousness in Jacob.
    Exalt the LORD our God;
        worship at his footstool!
        Holy is he!
       Psalm 99:4-5

Justice:  The upholding of what is right, especially fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards, or law.

Equity:  Justice; right. The impartial distribution of justice, or the doing that to another which the laws of God and man, and of reason, give him a right to claim. It is the treating of a person according to justice and reason.

About 3 weeks ago someone stole my husband's computer and smart phone out of our car--which was parked in our driveway!  Now I confess that the car was unlocked (not smart in this day and age) but nevertheless on our property.  Yesterday a friend was jogging at a local park and had her car window smashed and her purse stolen.  The culprit was found; he has previously been arrested numerous times for burglary!  Now wouldn't you suppose that he would get the picture by now?  If he doesn't want to go to jail, he must make a different choice.  He has that option!

That perpetrator has no right to ask for mercy.  He has broken the law--again. Our tendency today is to look at his home life and excuse him because he had no father.  Or to say that he is bi-polar or schizophrenic or slow-minded or had an unhappy childhood, or a variety of other "ills."  The bottom line is, he's a thief and deserves justice.  Equity?  Yes.  Justice?  Yes.  But the justice that should be meted out to him should reflect the rights of others which his law-breaking has infringed upon. We cannot live life thinking that we can make wrong choices and continually go unpunished.

Our God is a God of justice and equity.  Hallelujah!  When we have done what is right, He is righteous and will reward our righteousness with equity.  When we make wrong choices (that's called sin, by the way) He reigns His justice upon us through chastisement if we are His children, and through eternal damnation if we reject His offer of salvation through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our encouragement in Psalm 99 is to exalt the Lord and worship at His footstool.  Knowing that He is holy and will bring justice and equity is an occasion to praise and worship the only God who can serve out justice with a totally unbiased hand.  We never need fear that we will be punished by Him for what we did not do, and we may always be assured that He will discipline those He loves when the need arises, but always in pure justice and equity.  Our God is holy!  Praise the Lord!

Thankful for a God of justice and equity,

Gloria