God of Justice

Hey, welcome in.

It's time for another word of encouragement from your friends at Our Daily Bread. The devotional for today is titled, God of Justice, and it was written by James Banks. She was perhaps the greatest scape cow in history. We don't know if her name was Daisy, Madeline, or Gwendolyn.

Each name has been suggested. But Mrs. O'Leary's cow was blamed for the 1871 Great Chicago Fire that left every third resident of the city homeless. Carried by strong winds through wooden structures, the fire burned for three days and took the lives of nearly 300 people. For years, many believed the fire began when the cow knocked over a lantern left burning in a shed.

After further investigation, 126 years later, the city's Committee on Police and Fire passed a resolution exonerating the cow and her owners and suggesting the activities of a neighbor warranted scrutiny. Justice often takes time, and scripture acknowledges how difficult that can be. The refrain, how long, is repeated four times in Psalm 13. How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

How long will my enemy triumph over me? But in the middle of his lament, David finds reason for faith and hope. But I trust in your unfailing love. My heart rejoices in your salvation. Even when justice is delayed, God's love will never fail us. We can trust and rest in him not just for the moment, but for eternity. Now hear the truth of God's word.

This is today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading from Psalm 13. How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, I have overcome him, and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love. My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's praise, for he has been good to me. Now let's join our hearts together in prayer. Dear loving Heavenly Father, thank you that your goodness and mercy chase us and follow us in hot pursuit all of the days of our life.

You never stop being good. You are a good, good Father. So help us to trust you even when we can't see what you're doing. Help us to be patient knowing that you're working hundreds and thousands and hundreds of thousands of things together for our good. Thank you that Romans 8 reminds us that you are for us and not against us. And so, Lord, we wait for you today. Our hope is found in trusting in you. And it's in your great and glorious name that we pray and trust. Amen.