Let it God and Get Going

“He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” (Re 13:10 AV)

Divine recompense is the patience of the saints.  This is one of our hopes.  We endure persecution and injustice because we know the God of the universe will do right.  We know He will bring all things to light and He will judge righteously for the cause of the His saints.  Yet, there is a degree of faith intimated in this truth.  Not mere patience.  Rather, enduring patience.  Not expectation that is constant, but a resolution to leave it with the LORD allowing more pertinent pursuits to occupy the mind and heart.  It is one thing to wait on the sidelines for justice to be served.  Quit another to go about one’s responsibilities because he is certain of it in the future.

One of my favorite sports to watch is professional hockey.  The very thing that turns some off is the thing that draws me.  It is the fighting that breaks outs.  Most who are not familiar with how the game is played do not appreciate this form of in-game justice.  The game is so fast moving that the refs cannot possibly see all fouls committed by players.  Slashing, tripping, and especially dangerous and questionable checks go unnoticed.  After a while, the violator must be dealt with.  A fight does not break out (at least most of the time) for purely violent reasons.  There is usually a cause for it that has been building up over minutes of play.  What we want to notice though is the lack of this fighting during playoff games.  The same injustice occurs on the ice.  The same dirty plays go unnoticed by the officials. What the players decide to do about it is put it aside until the game or series is in hand.  They focus on the task of winning a contest.  Not on the justice which needs to be meted out.  They are not preoccupied with an illegal hit that went unpunished.  They are not obsessed with a broken wrist from an illegal slash.  There are more important things to consider.

I have met many a Christian who has become paralyzed in their Christian growth because they are preoccupied with fairness.  They want God to even the scales right away.  They cannot put it in the past.  They want the LORD to seek revenge because they feel they have been done wrong.  They are not happy Christians.  They are miserable because fairness is the passion of their soul.  The saints in glory are told to wait. They pass the time in worship and service to the LORD.  They will not pass the time standing on the precipice of glory doing nothing in the hope of God’s justice.  As far as they are concerned, it is as good as done; whether immediately or in the future.  Since it is certain, then it is complete.  Time to serve the LORD.