humble pie

Psalm 82:8, "Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance."

God appointed (and appoints) judges to rule over His people acting in His authority.  But the judges pictured in this psalm were perverting God's justice because they were ignorant of the importance of fair judgement (making sure the defenseless got justice) and the consequences of their unfair judging.  Sound familiar??...see our society now.  It's why I don't get too freaked out in elections.  I pray, vote my conscience and know God is sovereign.  All you have to do, however, is turn on the news to see justice has been and is being perverted in so many places.  "Law and order, the foundations of life on earth, were (and are) unstable." (Dr. Constable with my insertion)

Yet, before I get too high and mighty and point my finger at the "them" I see because the news happens to cover the "them", I should probably look at myself.  In my own little microcosm of the world, my sphere of influence, where God has given me authority and the Holy Spirit to be His representative, I don't always get it right either.  I can sometimes "judge a book by its cover" and choose to ignore the injustice I see and walk-by someone who is hurting or received a raw deal for many "reasons" (fear, indifference, and not having the time) but they are all just really excuses.  

Asaph pictures God sitting over His judges and tells them to "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.  Rescue the week and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." (v. 3-4).  How are you doing?  I know I need to go eat a little humble pie and start by changing my heart and my world.  I still cry out for God to come judge in desperation that the world be set right; and know that one day the Righteous One will sit on His throne and flip this world.  In the meantime, we could all roll up our sleeves, maybe stop judging "them" and get busy being the change.