Justice

So, I was reading John Piper's sermon on Final Judgment (Eternal Life vs. Wrath and Fury) and it got me thinking… how much do I worship God for who he is, rather than who I make him out to be? This wasn't the point of the sermon at all, Piper does it a lot better presentation of his point than I could… check out the sermon here, but this is a Psalm that I wrote, while contemplating God's Justice.

Notice I use a mixture of archaic English and modern English. It refers to the God of old, the King, who I serve, and the God I know: my Father, and my Redeemer. (I don't individualize them in the Psalm… there is only one God… the God of Justice.

God of Justice

When I was a boy,

I thought of childish things

I was not strong

I was not shrewd

My heart had not been tempered by the world

To accept the things I could not change,

And neglect the things I could

When there were more important things to do.

But oh! My innocence was pure, Lord!

And I longed for justice.

As I grew,

I found that I could be wrong too

And the flame of right grew dim

The cold wind of compromise

Whistled through my life.

It was only right that things be fair sometimes.

But Thou, O Lord, art unchanging.

Yesterday, today, and forever, the same.

Thou sought after Thy own righteousness then

And Thy eyes still scan the earth for men

Whose heart is one with Thine.

I wouldst Thou wouldst not see mine

For Thou knowest it lies.

But Thou art pure, even when I am not

Thy motives are true, Thy character, perfect

Thou art Just, my creator

Thou art fair

Impartial, as only God can be

I love Thy ways.

Where should I go but to Thee,

For honesty, for clarity?

Thy eyes are unblemished, untainted, un-tinted, unmasked.

Thou sees all things as they are

And calls them by their names.

Thou art Faithful and True.

What is Truth, except You?

And yet, so full of Grace,

As if Truth, without Love, were not Truth.

And abounding in Mercy

For no reason, other than that Thou art Merciful.

Thou art Love, and I love you, my King.

Thou art Holy, teach me Thy ways

Thou art Merciful, and I have time to learn

Thou art Gracious, and I am drunk with the Joy of Thy presence

But oh! Thou art Just!

The nations rage, they plot, they scheme against you

The Rock will crush them,

And I marvel at his splendor

I rejoice in Thy ways

The objective truth of the math

From which, only by Grace, I am saved.