who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? whom did he consult, and who made him understand? who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? [isaiah 40:12-14]
have you ever been on a boat in the middle of the ocean? the beautiful picture of grandeur where sea meets sky, and nothing else can be seen is etched into my memory as a moment of worship and awe at the greatness of my God who created it all. this verse gives me such vivid imagery of God’s mighty arm, reaching down to form the sea, all of it fitting into the cupped palm of his hand, and filling the voids of the deep as he called the dry land to rise up and part the waters.
God’s creation of our world and the heavens above is his way of putting his glory on display. it is his way of sharing his goodness with us, his creatures. he called into existence all that we see and all that we do not see, a perfect world displaying his knowledge, understanding, and most mind-blowingly to me, his justice.
what is justice? to be just is to uphold what is good and right and true. in God’s case, it is upholding the glory of his own name, because his name is good and right and true. he is just because he upholds his own glory. his creation shouts his glory. his perfect and righteous way shouts his glory. his beautiful plan for salvation of sinful men shouts his glory. yes, he is just in all that he does!
when you think of justice, do you think of upholding the great name of our glorious God? in your pursuit of justice for yourself, is God’s glory at the center of that pursuit, or is it your own vindication? in your pursuit of justice for others, is God’s glory at the center of that pursuit, or is it a worldly agenda that has overshadowed your love for God’s name?
today, may we see justice through a new lens. God himself is knowledge. God himself is the way of understanding. may we follow his just ways and uphold with awe and reverence the great name of our great God who created all things for his glory!
~arwen eastman