Who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and the widow; but the way of the wicked He turns upside down. The Lord shall reign forever—your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord! —Psalm 146:7-10

We don’t think about it too much, but hope is a very important element in our lives. God knows how necessary it is as well. In fact, the word “hope” occurs 143 times in Bible. In Lamentations 3:21-23 we read, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. . . .” And Romans 15:13: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Our opening verses this morning remind us of God’s mercy, justice, and provision. He lifts up those who are downtrodden. He watches over those who see themselves as strangers and pilgrims in a foreign land. He cares for the orphan and the widow, but He defeats the ways of the wicked! Nothing is too difficult for our God (Jer 32:27)! Paul wrote in Ephesians, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (3:20-21).

Do you believe that these verses are true for you? Is our God able? Here are some things we need to wrestle through: Does God physically heal everyone we pray for? Is He able to do so? Does He give sight to every blind person we pray for? Is He able to? Does He avert every injustice aimed at believers and at His church today? Could He? Does He protect every Christian in every country and age from being persecuted, even to death? No, He doesn’t, in every case, but yes, He is able to! Stop and think for a moment. Our flesh has a hard time with the idea that God allows people to die. But for the believer, death is a victory! It is deliverance, being set free, from this corrupt, anti-Christian, and perilous world that calls evil good and good evil and treats the wicked well but seeks to murder those whose hope is in the Lord. We need to remember that there will be eternal justice in the end. Jesus Christ rose from the dead, conquering death and sin and hell! Our hope lies in the future. And the future for those who belong to Christ is beautiful beyond description. There is no injustice in heaven; there are no prisoners, no blindness; no one is downtrodden; there are no orphans or widows, no wickedness, no strangers, no sorrow, and no death!

God wants us to live with the expectation of eternity—and happiness, help, and hope are all based upon the understanding that eternal justice will someday prevail. The former things will pass away, and nothing will ever be able to hurt us again. Justice is coming, and relief is on the way! Until then, happiness, hope, and help are ours right now as we continue to love and praise our Savior who loved us first!

Excerpt from “Beside Still Waters” now available on Amazon.

BARRY STAGNER