He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. (Ps. 107:29)
MY DAUGHTER’S NAVIGATION COLLEGE required her to spend a year on the sea, sailing on cargo ships and military vessels in order to earn her pilot’s license. On one trip, after crossing the Mediterranean, they stopped in Egypt to pick up eight seasoned sailors from this volatile country. My daughter suddenly found herself in the role of mediator, trying to work out agreements between this new set of angry workers and a captain who resisted their constant demands.
While my daughter loved the adventure, she had to admit that that part of the world was a dangerous place. These ancient countries have been ruled by tyrants, and the damage they caused runs deep.
The psalmist reminds us that the sovereignty of God runs deeper still—deeper than the damage of any wicked individual, no matter how vast the resources he has at his disposal. Indeed, the hubris of the wicked will one day be the source of their downfall.
But what do we do in the meantime? Especially when the injustice of the wicked begins to affect us and the ones we love?
We are to wait on the Lord. Yes, there are powerful people in the world who will abuse the authority they have been given by God (consider Pilate). But after we have done all we can reasonably do, we must leave the rest in the Lord’s hands.
God will one day have the final word in all matters of injustice. In the meantime, we love our enemies and continue in the work God has given us to do.
Choose one way this week to show love to someone you find difficult to love.
Doug Schmidt is a freelance writer and editor; he is also on staff with his church as the small-groups director.
