“The Lord is
just in all His ways, and
kind in all His doings. The Lord is
near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in
truth.”
- Psalm 145:17-18
Few
things set people on edge as much as waiting for a table at a restaurant. Every
wristwatch is checked on a minute by minute basis. Every conversation is
punctuated by the question “How long has it been now?” And when the hostess
walks to the front of the crowd, menus in hand, everyone sits up straight,
hoping their moment has finally arrived—until some lucky family hears their
name and follows her, prompting everyone else to let out a collective sigh of
frustration.
What
makes the wait at least slightly more tolerable is the knowledge that everybody
else has to wait exactly like you. Sure, the wait feels interminable; sure, you’re
ready to eat—but at least it’s an equitable system. Everybody must wait their
turn, and nobody gets to jump the line.
That’s
probably why things get so hostile when a V.I.P. walks through the door and is
ushered right to their table, bypassing the line completely. Appalled at what
they’ve witnessed, everyone who’s been waiting with a thin veneer of patience
angrily starts demanding answers of the hostess: “Why do they get to jump the
line? Don’t you know how long we’ve all been here?” Waiting was fine so long as
the rules were fair. But no one likes being the victim of inconsistency.
For
that reason, there is great comfort in the words of Psalm 145: “the Lord is
just in all His ways, and kind in all His doings. The
Lord is near to all who call
on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.” There is no pecking order
in God’s economy, no list of spiritual haves and have-nots, no V.I.P.s who get
to jump the line of grace and receive the blessings of heaven. The justice and
mercy of God are available to all who call upon His name, regardless
of their race, gender, upbringing, zip code, or economic status.
In
a world where sometimes it seems the only thing that’s guaranteed is that there
are no guarantees, God is an eternal fount of power, compassion, justice, and
grace. When people, systems, and organizations fail to keep their promises, He
remains faithful. So even when your trust in others fails, may you never
hesitate to turn to the God who holds all things together—He’ll never skip over
you.
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