Scripture
What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! (Romans 9:14, ESV)
Thoughts
Romans 9:14 tells us that God is just. The context of this verse is that Paul is talking about God’s sovereignty. Just before this, Paul wrote that God said, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Now this is hard to understand. We may react with, “God, you should love Jacob and Esau!” In our hearts, we may conclude that God is unjust; however, Paul states the truth—there is no injustice in God. It’s certainly all right to ask God about things we don’t understand in his Word, but for us to tell God whom he should love is setting ourselves above God. The wise response is simply to take him at his word. He loved Jacob, and that was just. He hated Esau, and that was just.
Verses like this are difficult. You may be wondering, If God can hate someone, then why should we seek him? It may be helpful for me to explain that God’s hatred is not like human hatred. His hate is based on perfect discernment and judgment of evil. Let’s look at the next couple of verses in Paul’s discussion: “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:15-16, ESV). It’s important to acknowledge this because God is just. And when Bible verses are hard to understand, run to God for clarity.
Application
From this verse, I want you to walk away with this: God is God and he is sovereign. In your broken relationships, don’t think that God is going to overlook the injustices that you are experiencing or the ones you have caused. He is holy. He is also full of mercy. The key is to run to him, not from him, in our time of need. Please recognize that we each need to repent while we still have time. It’s crucial that you see God as just, that he is independent of man, and that he sees everything.
Prayer
Lord, you are just and you are sovereign. You see things flawlessly, unlike the way I see them. You are God, and I am not. Please forgive me for the injustices that I have caused. And I want to trust that you see the injustices I have experienced. Help me to see you for who you are…. (Continue praying.)
