“If we are struggling against injustice we are dealing with people of power or authority who abuse that power and lie about it. …We are talking about the most exalted and esteemed people of power and authority in the society – these are the liars we are dealing with when we confront the deepest injustice. Therefore those of us who have been raised with a respect for authority and a Romans 13 deference to government officials must, if we are going to seek biblical justice, accustom ourselves to the unsettling reality that those who have power and authority are not only capable of abusing that power but are capable of going to great lengths to lie about it. We are not called to gratuitous disrespect for those in authority, quite the contrary. We are to render to them their due, pray for them, and submit to their authority as they exercise it in accordance with God’s will. But at all times, rulers and authorities remain fallen creatures capable of great and dark sin. …Remember that injustice is the abuse of power by the strong over the weak. …Protecting those who are vulnerable usually means bringing a countervailing power to bear on their behalf. …Incidents of injustice are not just something that happen in an unfair world. God is appalled by them and calls us to seek justice.” Gary Haugen

“Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey.
They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth.
They make many widows in the land.
Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things.
…Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims.
They actually destroy people’s lives for money!
And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions
and making lying predictions.
They say, ‘My message is from the Sovereign Lord,’
when the Lord hasn’t spoken a single word to them.
Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy,
and deprive foreigners of justice.
‘I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land
… but I found no one. So now … I will heap on their heads
the full penalty for all their sins.
I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’”
Ezekiel 25:25-31

Moving From Head to Heart

• When you look around, do you see political and religious leaders abusing their power?
• What do you think God feels about this happening in his world?
• What, if anything, do you think God wants you to do about it?

Abba, help us bring a countervailing power to bear on behalf of the vulnerable.

For More: Good News About Injustice by Gary Haugen
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These “Daily Riches” are for your encouragement as you seek after God and he seeks after you. –  Bill (Psalm 90:14)