It's Not Fair!

Being the victim of injustice can test the very roots of our faith. Lori discovered this when her husband, Sam, was accused of animal abuse the winter several of his cattle died in a blizzard. Although autopsies revealed the animals had been well fed, a key defense witness wasn't allowed to testify and important evidence was not submitted. Still, Lori and Sam trusted the jury to sift through the case and find him innocent. Instead, he was convicted and sentenced to five years probation and a large fine. They could have allowed bitterness and anger to cloud their lives, but instead they chose to hang on to the promises of God that David describes in Psalm 37.

Almost everyone at one time or another has experienced a situation where they find themselves saying, "That's not fair!" The psalmist faced such a situation when he saw his enemies prosper while suffered. David, however, turned his focus to God;he found hope in knowing that God would set things right. What was the path David took to finding peace in the midst of injustice? 

• "Trust in the Lord." Every event in our lives-good and bad-is filtered through God's sovereign hands. We can trust God to use for our good anything that others intend as evil. 

• "Do good." Whatever happens, despite the injustice that we suffer, we are to choose the higher path that demonstrates God's Spirit within us. 

• "Dwell in the land." Though we may feel like running away from conflict or trying to hide from challenges, doing so robs us of experiencing how God can provide a place of rest and safety: "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:8) 

• "Delight yourself in the Lord." Rather than getting depressed about our tough situation, turning our thoughts to God's presence and singing his praise songs will LIFT OUR SPIRITS. 

• "Commit your way to the Lord." We can decide to follow God, regardless of what others do or say. 

• "Be still before the Lord." We can afford a lifetime of patience, for we know that God will make things right. He is a just God who will one day rule and reign with complete fairness and impartiality.  

 

I know exactly how that feels. My patience with God was tested many many times back when I was a teenager. I was having seizures caused by a benign tumor at the time, and they were daily. Of course we prayed, but nothing was happening, none of our prayers seemed to be listened to. 

So of course, I gave up. My faith in God got weaker & weaker and that is when He tested me. 

I stopped having seizures for 21 days which was a blessing from Heaven. I got to do what I missed doing as a teenager & not have to worry about falling down seizing. 

Oh it was so awesome, I had my life back. 

That was until the 22nd day. The seizures came back and they were worse, more stronger. But while I was experiencing those days without seizures, my Spirit awakened my heart on faith. 

"What you pray you will receive, as long as you believe." 

That was a quote I kept hearing through those days in my Spirit and I could never stop saying it to myself. It made me think back how I was speaking when the seizures kept coming and so did my prayers, but no answers. I was lacking on trusting God and those 21 days were a test on my faith to trust Him. He was showing what my life would truly be like if I did so & just gave it all to Him. 

Now when I see people struggle with faith, it makes me think back on what I learned. 

No matter how hard you weep & pray over your problems, you have to BELIEVE what is spoken out of your mouth which is planting a seed. It can be good or bad & God will make sure you know by what you experience in life by what you speak, doubt or faith.

 Do not doubt the mighty God! -Joy 

 

{Genesis 50:15-21}

15 But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.

16 So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us  

17 to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept.  

18 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.

19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 

 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.  

21 No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.

 

{Psalm 1:1-6}

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not

follow the advice of the wicked,

or stand around with sinners,

or join in with mockers.

2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,

meditating on it day and night.

3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do.

4 But not the wicked!

They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.

Sinners will have no place among the godly.

6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,

but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

 

{Psalm 37:1-2}

1 Don’t worry about the wicked

or envy those who do wrong.

2 For like grass, they soon fade away.

Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

 

{Romans 8:18-28}

18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.  

19For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 

 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,  

21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.  

22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  

23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.  

24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.  

25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 

 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.  

28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.