Hope in God
by Pastor Fraser Pearce
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Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God (Psalm 43:5b).
Read Psalm 43
It’s one thing to deal with injustice: people lying to us, treating us poorly, or taking things that belong to us. It’s another thing to feel as if God doesn’t care, as if there is no justice in this world and that there will be no final accountability for all the wrong that has been done.
In the psalm for today, the psalmist is lamenting the suffering he has experienced at the hands of people who act as if God doesn’t exist. He is also lamenting the way that God has, it seems, rejected him. It’s like he has gone to God’s court to get justice, but God, the judge, has thrown out his case.
But the psalmist does not give up. He knows that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6,7). So, he asks God to send out his light and truth – to send out his word, which shines on the path of life. The psalmist knows that this light, this word, leads God’s people to his holy hill – to the temple, where God provides a sacrifice that cleanses people from their sins and shows his true and lasting justice in the world.
As God’s baptised people, we can sometimes feel like God doesn’t care about us. We can feel like giving up, especially when we are struggling with injustice in our lives, and it seems that God is not doing anything to help us. But even then, we can still, with the psalmist, call out to God. God will give us his word to lead us back to where we gather with his people to share in the benefits of Christ’s sacrifice. He will lead us to meet in church to receive the body and blood of Christ, where we receive forgiveness of sins. It’s with God’s people, receiving God’s gifts, that we experience that God does care for us and can bring his healing, peace and justice even out of the injustices we have suffered.
Lord Jesus, you show us the justice of God. As we receive your body and blood for the forgiveness of sins, assure us that you care for us and free us to be people who live justly in this world. Amen.
Fraser Pearce grew up in Sydney and has served as a pastor in Melbourne, Bendigo and Adelaide. He is married to Margaret, and they have four children ranging in age from 15 to 23. Fraser enjoys being with family and friends, listening to (and playing) music and reading.
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