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What can I do when I face injustice?

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

In the summer of 1994, my family was locked in a legal battle in a Houston courtroom with a powerful car manufacturer. Images of David and Goliath sprung to my mind, but our lawyer had no smooth stones or slingshot. His arguments were not enough to cause a jury to vote in our favor. Four long years after my sister was killed, no justice was served.

Once the shock wore off, sadness settled in, and we all went back to the business of grieving her death all over again and caring for her young children.

When faced with injustice, what does God call me to do?

We are called to praise God 

1 We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.
(Psalm 75:1 NIV)

Psalm 75 begins with thanksgiving and praise for God’s sovereign rule.

This is counterintuitive to society’s expectations. Many of us have been influenced to believe that we don’t praise until we gain a victory.

Sharing testimonies of God’s wonderful deeds encourages other believers, and in a sense, sharing stories of God’s faithfulness reveals his work. God is always right there beside me, but I often need reminders of his presence. I become distracted by my daily stresses and lose sight of his work in my life. We need to remind one another of God’s continuous gracious interventions, especially when facing injustice.

Praising God does not deny the current circumstance, but it does remind my heart of God’s faithfulness to me and those I love.

We are called to be watching for God’s justice

2 You say, “I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge with equity.
3 When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.
4 To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak so defiantly.’”
(Psalm 75:2-5 NIV)

Every single day, I confront the brokenness of this world. I see those who believe they don’t have to follow the laws of the land. Some of society’s most vulnerable members become victims and cry out for justice.

Are you seeking justice for yourself or a loved one?

We are made in the image of a just God, so we each long for justice to be done here on earth. It is imprinted on our very souls.

In verses 4 and 5, God reassures his people that he not only chooses the perfect time to judge but will do so with balance, insight, and fairness.

Earthly judges may be corrupted or prevented from bringing justice to this world, but God will prevail. That may be now or years from now.

God reminds his people that he holds the foundations of the earth firm even when all is quaking. Notice that the scripture does not say if the earth and people shake. It says when. Sooner or later, we will all experience seasons of uncertainty and lack. But God will hold us close in the middle of the darkest seasons of our lives if we will only look to him.

God identifies the arrogant people, those who defy him, and he commands their obedience sooner or later. There is no escape for them.

We are called to wait on God’s placement


6 No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves.
7 It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.
8 In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.
(Psalm 75:6-8 NIV)

How far is the East from the West? This area covers the entire Earth; therefore, no one can exalt him or herself —only God can do that for a person.

While our society celebrates those who “take what they want” and make “power grabs” for fame and fortune, this is not God’s way. If the manner in which I succeed is questionable, God will not bless my efforts.

Therefore, I shouldn’t try to gain an elevated position because if I do, I won’t be able to stay there. But no force on Earth can remove me if God puts me there.

God knows our hearts, minds, and motivations. He will force the wicked to drink down the full measure of his judgment, and they will have no escape. Can I wait on God’s plan for judgment and justice? Not without his help, every single day.

We are called to persist in praise

9 As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,
10 who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”
(Psalm 75:9-10 NIV)


When I come face to face with the goodness of God, I can’t help but praise Him.

Our praise will go on forever because God will go on forever. This is a glimpse of the now and not yet.

Someday, we will have endless days and nights to praise God in Heaven. We will never get weary but be filled with awe and wonder in his presence.

Psalm 75 begins and ends with praise because God wants to remind us of how he works. Jesus’ death and resurrection brought the ultimate reconciliation between God and man. This will someday pass away, all will be put to right, and real and restorative justice will prevail in all situations. We will live in the new heaven and earth, praise the Lord all day and night, and never grow weary.

All those years ago, my family did not receive a favorable verdict. It seemed that all was lost. Sadly, I don’t have a report of how eventually we prevailed or received what was owed. I have had to choose to release this situation to the Lord. Despite it all, I can praise God, watch for his justice, and await God’s placement.

All was not actually lost that day because despite massive damage to my sister’s car, her two children, aged just four months and not quite two, survived with barely a scratch. I learned during the trial that emergency responders had to use the “jaws of life” to cut my sister’s infant daughter out of her car seat, sitting inches from the full impact of a ¾ ton pickup truck. God miraculously shielded two tiny children that day, and I will be forever grateful to know and love them.

Prayer

We praise you, God, for your Name is near; let us be known as a people who tell of your wonderful deeds and encourage one another. Help us to be those who bear the light of your presence in a dark world where justice can be hard to find and painful to wait for. Help us to wait on you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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HOW DO WE LIVE AS AN EASTER PEOPLE? Psalm 71

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

Early Saturday morning, before the sun came up on the day before Easter, I read Psalm 71. It had been selected for the devotional our church was reading.

Psalm 71 begins with a desperate cry for help and hiding. The psalmist longs to be hidden with the Lord and away from evil enemies who seek to harm him. No doubt, the disciples huddled in the upper room gripped by grief and despair, might have cried out to the Lord in similar ways.

Where do we go when everything has gone wrong and we’ve ended up on the losing side of things? Or so it seems on Saturday.  

This will not be an isolated scenario in a broken world where people fail us. On this side of heaven, we will periodically sit in a dark room, waiting for God to show us the way over and over. It might also be a prolonged season of uncertainty, false starts, and further failures.  

A prescription for holding onto hope

Halfway through Psalm 71, the tone changes, and hope filters in through a crack in the curtains. What follows is a prescription for holding onto hope in dark situations.

14 As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long— though I know not how to relate them all.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign LORD; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.
(Psalm 71:14-18 NIV)

Praising

Verse 14 stands as a necessary declaration over my soul. Even when I can’t see the outcome or the upturn, I can praise the Lord more and more. How often does listening to the praise music and singing along transform my outlook?

Remembering & Reminding

Verses 15 & 16 remind me to remember because we are a forgetful people. A sort of amnesia comes over me during trials, and I fail to consider God’s track record in my life. I must choose to remind myself of God’s righteous deeds and saving acts. God is working things together in mysterious ways. God’s work is not limited by my ability to understand like the psalmist says, “though I know not how to relate them all.” (Psalm 71:15b)

I will also need to do this in the community. Sometimes, a friend or family member needs me to hold space for his or her hope by sharing our memories. The idea of proclamation creates the picture of me using every place I have influence in to testify about the Lord.

  • Do my social media posts reflect my hope in Christ?
  • Do the birthday cards I send shine the light of the Gospel?
  • Do my conversations foster a sense of God’s faithful care of me and those around me?
  • Do my text messages edify others?
  • Do my prayers (in public and private) feature thankfulness for all God has done and is doing?
  • Do I remind others of God’s faithfulness?

Persisting

Verse 17 points to the benefits of having a long-standing and persistent relationship with the Lord. I have been walking with him since I was a teenager. Not everyone has that privilege. Some people arrived much later in their lives to faith. A long-standing relationship with the Lord is a gift, but it also requires ongoing nurturing in a faith community, in the word of God, and in prayer.

Passing On

Verse 18 charges me to share my faith with the next generation. I don’t believe the Lord allows us to retire from this work. Anyone at any age can still influence the next generation with encouragement, prayer, and service. Playing an active and unique role in the discipleship of grandchildren and little ones in our faith communities is an ultimate privilege. We are called to actively pass on our faith.

How will you hold onto hope?

During this Easter season, how will you hold onto hope and be a beacon light for a watching world? How will you live faithfully as an Easter people?

Self-Help or Surrender – Psalm 70

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

A prayer for help and lament

You can stop a hydrochloric acid leak with a hefty supply of chocolate bars.

Back in the 1980s, on his weekly television show, Angus MacGyver taught me many handy things like that. One never knows when that bit of survival trivia might come in handy. If you doubt this solution, I recommend you check out the circa 2003 episode of “Myth Busters” to see how well the technique works.

Whenever MacGyver found himself in serious trouble, and that seemed to be the premise of every week’s episode, he would use some household objects in a unique combination to save the day. He might call for help, but his efforts always brought about his rescue or the saving of a beautiful woman.

In Psalm 70, the psalmist finds himself in grave peril and cries out for help.

Waiting for God’s Rescue

1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!
(Psalm 70:1 ESV)

Just like me, the psalmist wants help—right now. Suffering slows down the passing of time, or certainly my perception of time. It engulfs, isolates, and brings me to my knees. After an eternity, perhaps more like an hour, of waiting for a rescue, I’m ready for my MacGyver moment.

I want to reach into my Chelsey boot and bring out a penknife that cuts off what entangles me and lets me run free. It is a struggle to surrender and wait on God’s timing or seek out his ways.

Waiting on God’s Justice

2 Let them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt!
3 Let them turn back because of their shame who say, “Aha, Aha!”
(Psalm 70:2-3 ESV)

When I place my order for a rescue from God, I would also like it served with a healthy portion of justice. Justice delayed is justice denied, right?

I want those people over there, the ones who have tried to take my life, the ones I feel have failed me, the ones who refused to help me, the ones who might have caused my suffering, the ones who hurt my loved ones. I want them to suffer…do your thing, God. Smite them or bring them to their knees and make them sorry.  

Meanwhile, could you spotlight their wrongdoing, bring them to repentance, and return whatever was lost to me?

When I make this audacious request, do I consider all the implications? Am I ready to experience this myself? Do I want my mistakes to be exposed for everyone to see?

Waiting on God’s Glory


4 May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”
(Psalm 70:4 ESV)

In verse two, the psalmist calls out those who seek to take his life. This time, however, he specifies a different group of seekers. He wants to see the ultimate justice; the Godly ones, those who seek the Lord, should win and dance in victory.

Waiting on God’s Heroic Measures (and not my own)


5 But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!
(Psalm 70:5 ESV)

The final verse in this short prayer brings it all back to the beginning. The psalmist knows he needs help and knows it is beyond his ability to help himself. There will be no surge or music, and the MacGyver moment will not unfold. The psalmist is painfully aware of how poor and needy he is. He now waits in humility and certainty of God’s role as the ultimate deliverer.

Sooner or later, we all need a rescuer who can pull us out of peril and redeem our lives. Only the Lord can do this for us. Our self-reliance and innovations won’t be necessary. I can’t guarantee a quick rescue, but I know the God of the universe is working in our waiting times. His timing is perfect, and his rescue plans are always redemptive.

Prayer

Lord, help me to wait on you for my rescue. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Waiting Well – Psalm 62

/ Anthea Kotlan / Leave a comment

Waiting well is hardly my strong suit. How does time spent getting stuck in traffic when you run late to pick up your child expand into an unknowable amount of time? Suddenly, everyone is moving in slow motion, yet the time is speeding forward, and your estimated arrival time continues speeding further into the future.

Waiting in Silence 

1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

3 How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?

4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood.

They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah

(Psalm 62:1-4 ESV)

The psalmist declares his willingness to wait on God because God is the source of all he values most. Even when attacked and vulnerable, he chooses to focus on the Lord.

When faced with a threat, I am tempted to fill the waiting with words of worry, complaint, and even catastrophizing. I can raise the “what if” scenarios to an outstanding level, but to what end? Will any of that help me?

What if I chose to wait in silence?

The psalmist decides to wait quietly and in the certainty of his rescue. While acknowledging the threat, he doesn’t fall for his enemy’s deceptive or intimidating ways. He turns down the volume on the doubters and tunes into the quiet presence of the Lord.

Waiting Unshaken

5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

(Psalm 62:5-7 ESV)


The psalmist decides to remain unshaken and focused on the solid rock of God. He declares his dependence on God alone.

When dealing with uncertainty, I am tempted to lose hope.

Waiting on God’s Wisdom

8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

(Psalm 62:8 ESV)

The psalmist reminds believers to trust God at all times and in all circumstances and encourages believers first to pour out their hearts to God.

When dealing with human betrayal, I am drawn to seek justice from those in authority on earth. Or tempted to take matters into my own hands and rush to justice before even seeking God’s wisdom. At this point, I don’t know what I don’t know. I must wait on God’s wisdom.

Waiting on God’s Conclusions

9 Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.

10 Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

(Psalm 62:9-10 ESV)

The psalmist recognizes how fleeting the favor of man can be. Relationships die, people drift apart, and financial gains and losses come and go.

When I feel people fail me, it’s easy to allow disappointment to crush me. I must choose to trust God.

Waiting on God’s Steadfast Love and Justice

11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,

12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.

(Psalm 62:11-12 ESV)

The psalmist reminds believers to listen to God’s word and recognize his power. God has all the power and the most remarkable ability to ensure everyone is treated fairly and receives what he or she is due.

When the world celebrates the strength of the mob, the influence of the crowd, and the loudest voices, it’s tempting for me to lose hope. I must choose to cling to God’s steadfast love.

Prayer

Lord, teach me to wait well. Help me to focus on you even when I am distracted by anxiety and uncertainty. You are always worth waiting on. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.