Bringing Justice to Your Unjust Situations

^{Psalms 19:7-14}

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the [whole] person; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure and bright, enlightening the eyes.

⁹ The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb.

¹¹ Moreover, by them is Your servant warned (reminded, illuminated, and instructed); and in keeping them there is great reward.

¹² Who can discern his lapses and errors? Clear me from hidden [and unconscious] faults.

¹³ Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then shall I be blameless, and I shall be innocent and clear of great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.

Background
When we have good laws that help citizens become better, be safer, be empowered, be free-it is worth being praised. This is what David says about God's laws!I heard something worth thinking about from a preacher on Youtube. He said the angels in heaven are constantly declaring "Holy, Holy Holy" do we know why? They are acclaiming not only the being, the composition of God but also His acts, every single one of His Acts are Holy, Perfect, Just, Worthy of praise! So in heaven the angels aren't saying Holy, Holy Holy as a chant, in rhythm following a beat-but more like as declaring, as and when the acts occur, not in unison but perhaps, what I can think of is, like kids answering a question when a teacher throws a question at the whole class and its an answer everyone knows! But only in a continuous process, forever, non-stop! With wonder, with Awe, With admiration! Whoa Holy, Holy Holy the angels declare! That's how wonderful God's Works are on this earth.


Lessons
These verses in Psalm come from David, a man who after being anointed to be king did not really become king the very next day.  The Bible records in the book of Samuel how he went through struggle every single day of his time of preparation with Saul trying to kill him for no fault of his own except that Saul was jealous of David. How crazy is that!!! Yet God gave him twice a chance to take out Saul but David maintained that he would rather have God's justice for his situation rather than exercise his justification by himself!
The Laws of God have the ability to

1. Restore a person and make him complete in every way
2. Giving you wisdom
3. Bring rejoicing in your heart( a permanent thing)
4. Enlightening your perception-increasing your ability to observe the situation on a grander scale
5. Fear of the Lord makes a person clean!

How can we receive God's Justice through His Laws

1. Just by observing ONE THING-keeping yourself Holy before a Holy God - in mind, in heart, in words and in deeds that means making a very painful but conscious effort to have/harbor no evil thought towards the person or group who has wronged you!

David does exactly that - He asks God to clean him up of everything evil, even hidden sins, presumptuous sins. Stuff we do without knowing. David considered it important, very important to be clear of everything. Now when God looks at David, He sees no offense in him and is ready to bring His Perfect Justice into His circumstance! So when Justice is delivered you are clear of it!


Conclusion
So, there will always be people or groups who will despise you! Seek to do wrong to you even though there is nothing you have done to offend or hurt them! Take heart and make effort and ask God to help you clear up every malice from your heart, every bitterness toward them, every single thing that is not of God, so when God's justice is dealt out, you will observe it- standing and beholding and your spirit will cry out "Holy Holy Holy are the works of my God towards me!"

What's your burden?

   Background:Nehemiah now ready with prayer, is off to face the king. His face is sad, though he must not appear sad before the king. He could get killed for that. Yet in Nehemiah 2 we read an account of how Nehemiah spoke with the king regarding what was troubling his heart. It presents a dialogue between the king and Nehemiah, along with Nehemiah's thoughts as he spoke to the king. During this dialogue, it is amazing to see Nehemiah's readiness for the situation. He knew how much time it would take and the legal documents he would need for the plan to which God had called him.

Lessons

1. Ready to take risk for God's work-v1-3Nehemiah could have lost his job for carrying his sorry countenance before the king of Persia, yet he did. When God calls us for His work, there will always be a challenge a risk involved, probably the risk of losing your reputation as a sane man or woman, probably the risk of losing your job because you decided not to cheat another company and make profit for your company, probably being thrown out of home, probably being killed for going to a hardened mission ground. We might look like a failure before the world, but before God we would have done rightly.
2. Prayer with hope of answer- v6 Nehemiah didn't doubt the request he had made to God. Remember in Neh 1:10-11 Nehemiah prayed for favour before the king and in Neh 2:6 he knew it had pleased the king to send Nehemiah to rebuild the wall. Nehemiah, though afraid to speak with the king, yet took courage in this that God had heard his prayer and it would be answered. I think prayer is a voice of faith, it speaks for its faith in God to be manifest in the situation.
3. Prayer with preparation:v6-7 I love these verses, it talks about a man who had not only prayed but was also ready with his plan, as if his request to the king had been granted. He was ready with the set time, had speculated what he might face when the request had been granted. Nehemiah was fearful of his request to the king, yet he backed up his prayer with preparation, preparation for the positive answer of his request.
4. God always backs up His plan for our lives-v7 says "And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. " Nehemiah knew, God was in the plan, and so his requests had been granted. Nehemiah had understood the calling for him to rebuild the temple, it was in his heart to do so. He took it seriously and with much planning and the gracious hand of the Lord worked on his behalf. Whether we've paid attention to it or not, there will be something that moves us mightily for God, we could either ignore that and continue with our work, or pay attention to it and fulfil our calling. Even though it may seem reckless, as in Nehemiah's case he could lose his job, yet he went with God's plan and God backed it up, later Nehemiah goes on to become a governor in God's Jerusalem even under the rule of a foreign king.

Conclusion: What is it that burdens our heart? God's calling of burden will never be something to do with us. It wasn't Nehemiah's life that was a burden , he was in a good position as a cupbearer to the king-he was moved to brokenness to see God's house destroyed and the disgrace of his people. Would it matter to him if he had just let go of that burden for someone else? I don't think so, he would have probably continued being a cupbearer and earning his income. When was the last time we had a burden for someone else's betterment? Know this through the example of Nehemiah's life. When Nehemiah took up the burden for the disgrace of the remnant Israelites- God took up Nehemiah's burden of his livelihood, even when it was at stake before the king and gave him favour before his boss, the king of Persia.


Let us not be afraid to take the cross which God has given us because our God has given us a command and His promise.
Command:Luke 9:23 "Then to everyone he said, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him say `No' to himself, take up his execution-stake daily and keep following me. "(Complete Jewish Bible)
Promise:Matthew 11:28-30 "28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."