Devotions this week based on Come Home Week 3 – TRUST (WATCH HERE)
Recently I realized an interesting line of thought.
I have had a good number of people over the years of ministry ask, “If God is good, why does he allow evil to exist?”
This question tries to reconcile the love of God with the evil that exists. With certainty we can say God is not the cause of evil, that is action that is motivated by and perpetuated by a heart disconnected from the love of God. Evil is the opposite of the goodness of God.
However, the irony is that the same person also then questioned God’s actions at the worldwide flood in Genesis 6-9. How could God wipe out the entire planet with the exception of Noah and his family.
Yet, the description of the world was very evil. Genesis 6:5 says, “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”
So God dealt with evil.
It seems like for some God can’t win. He doesn’t deal with evil how I want and I question him and then he deals with evil but it seems too harsh for my tastes. Either side of this God appears to be unjust.
Or is he just the opposite: perfectly just.
Isaiah 11:3–4 says, “He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
We only can judge based on what we see on the outside. Jesus, however, sees beneath the surface. Unlike human judgment which is often rushed or biased, His is righteous and just. He knows every heart fully (Psalm 139) and judges according to truth, not appearances (Psalm 96:13).
So at some point we must trust God’s justice as completely trustworthy.
Sin must be punished. God will punish sin.
The amazing gift is that God was willing to take the punishment our sin deserved and put it on Jesus. Jesus willingly accepted the role. The cross is where the love of God and the justice of God came together. Sin was punished in Jesus. Grace was shown to us.
Now that might seem unfair.
Grace is unfair. Justice is completely fair.
In answering the question about why God allows evil, we must come to the conclusion that if he fully dealt with evil, I would be a goner – physically and spiritually. My sin has every bit to be confronted and punished by the justice of God.
Yet he is willing to treat us not as our sin deserve but as the grace of God demands.
For this we can be grateful.
For this we can fully trust God to get justice right. We may not always have the same conclusion or think we would act in the same way.
But we aren’t God. Only God is. He is perfectly just.
So, trust him. Trust his justice. Trust his love. Trust his grace for you.
Justice has been served. Your sins are forgiven in Christ!
Reflection: Is there a situation where you struggle to trust God’s justice? How does knowing that Jesus sees your heart bring comfort or challenge?
Prayer: Righteous King, thank you that you see what others miss and judge with perfect truth. Help me trust your justice when life feels unfair and my heart feels misunderstood. Amen.