HE IS…Just

The perfect justice of God is a deep well of comfort to me. That statement might sound crazy, but this truth about God has profoundly changed me. The Lord, our righteous Judge, has given me rest—of the “lay down your burden” variety. Rest that moves me to cease striving, to be still, and to KNOW the Lord is Almighty God. 

The summer after my marriage shattered, I was in a deep pit of anger. I was so hurt—so completely consumed with hurt—that all I wanted was for my ex-husband to hurt, too. I wanted revenge. I longed to expose him. I needed him to feel the depth of his betrayal. I was seething—honestly, seething. Bitterness held me in its vice grip.

Then, one day, God stepped in and rescued me. How? By reminding me that he is a just Judge. Righteousness and justice are the very foundations of his throne (Ps 89:14). He loves justice (Is 61:8). His works are perfect, and all his ways are just (Dt 32:4). The Lord sees and knows all sin done against me. And he will call it all to account. 

So what does this mean for me? Because God is perfect in justice, I don’t need to act as judge and jury for my ex-husband. That job is taken by the only One worthy of such a position. My judgment will always be insufficient. It will never be fully righteous. It will never be strong enough, really. 

So, if the Lord will call all sin done against me to account, then I can rest. I don’t have to enact revenge. I don’t need to expose. I am freed to repent of my bitterness, forgive, and entrust my ex-husband into the hands of the only wise and worthy Judge. I can quiet myself before him, knowing he is in control.

My forgiveness of my ex-husband is built squarely on the twin pillars of God’s MERCY, which teaches me to be merciful, and his JUSTICE, which moves me to hang up my gavel. God will deal with him. It’s not my duty, nor my right. I can rest. I can surrender my ex-husband to God. I can learn to pray for him. I can move forward with shoulders free of the burden of my hurt. God sees and knows all, and he alone will judge perfectly.

The Lord’s justice is the gentle stream beside which I find rest and true, heart-changing peace.