Biblical justice is much more than punishment for wrongdoing. As Rich Villodas points out, the Hebrew word for justice is mishpat. The meaning of this word in Scripture includes punishment for wrongdoing, but it predominantly means giving people what they are due as human beings made in the image of God.
Read MoreWhen you pray, how do you imagine God's posture toward you? Is he busy and hardly paying attention? Is he leaning in and listening intently? Is he ignoring you unless you pester him again and again, like a toddler tugging on their parent's clothes? Jesus told a very strange parable about prayer to help answer these questions.
Read MoreOur sense of justice demands fairness, which is good. Unfortunately, however, we set ourselves up as judges of what is good / fair / just, and often find ourselves in disagreement with God over the topic.
Read MoreWhen inconvenience strikes, what's your first response? If we take a look at the prayers of the Psalmist, we are encouraged not to ignore our complaint, but to turn our complaint into a prayer. After all, Psalm 64:1 says, "Listen to me when I complain, God!"
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