47 Days of Justice 2024 - Day 36: The Lord’s favor trumps man’s injustice.
- araratchurch
- Jul 5, 2024
- 3 min read
“But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.”
Genesis 39:21-23 NLT
Every night before going to sleep, Pastor Dan quotes several scriptures over us. This is one of my favorites:
“Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”
Psalm 90:17 ESV
Now, I am certainly not against people seeking to get justice for themselves. In fact, let’s take a look at one of Jesus’ parables specifically concerning just such a situation:
“He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'"”
Luke 18:2-5 ESV
Ideally, we should be able to expect to receive justice in the world. But—as we know—our systems of government are not always just. Even in our own country we see the sometimes self-serving “justice” system perverted by political agendas and personal gain.
But make no mistake, the favor of the Lord can supersede what could have been done, should have been done, by our government to correct injustices. In fact, when the Lord intervenes for those who are His, COMPLETE justice is restored.
Let’s look at the rest of the parable we are considering:
“And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"”
Luke 18:6-8 ESV
Notice, Jesus is referencing those “who cry to him [God] day and night.” Truly, the Lord is the One, the only One, Who can and will completely annul the injustices of men. Not only that, He can, and often does, turn things around SUDDENLY.
Please note, I did not say “speedily” because it may seem that the Lord has delayed—or denied—bringing us justice. What we must remember is that in a moment, God can change EVERYTHING for those who have His favor through Jesus Christ.
Our opening scripture shows that Joseph, finding himself in prison as the result of a false accusation, has again risen to the top of the “pit of despair” to which he has been relegated.
Joseph, once enjoying the favor of his earthly father, has also garnered the favor of his Heavenly Father. The Lord is with him, and even in this situation of extreme injustice, the Lord is lifting him up.
“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.”
Psalm 5:11-12 ESV
So, it’s not ultimately about whether we see justice in this life or not, although we do often see those who seek the Lord receiving vindication, exaltation, etc., in this life. It’s about following the Lord, no matter where that may lead, all the while, looking to Him for our vindication.
Additionally, if we are of necessity—and with the approval of the Holy Spirit—seeking out justice through a governmental legal system, we must make sure that nothing we are doing in that venue takes us out of the place of God’s favor.
Remember, man’s unjust system of justice is bested by God’s favor everyday, all day! And, the Lord’s recompense is complete and eternal!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
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