True Justice

Saturday - April 30th

Scripture to Read Today: Psalm 89:14-18

Just - God is righteous and holy, fair and equitable in all things

The Names and Attributes of God

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Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

Psalm 89:14

A hole-in-one on a par 3 course may be pretty typical for a pro golfer, but it's a different story for a 4-year-old child. Rocco Figaretti loves to golf. His dad Mario told reporters he started practicing just before he turned three.

A few years ago Mario decided to take his son to Oglebay Park's Par 3 course in Wheeling, West Virginia. One of his first trips to a real golf course -- and sure enough, Rocco hit a hole-in-one! He was only 4 years of age.

"He swings right-handed with a left-handed grip, and it works for him, so I don't think we're going to switch it," Said Mario Figaretti at the time. "It's just been really fun watching him develop a love for the game because he really does spend a lot of time out here in the year hitting golf balls."

The whole family is so proud of Rocco.

Wikipedia describes a "par" in golf: "In golf, par is the predetermined number of strokes that a proficient (scratch, or zero, handicap) golfer should require to complete a hole." The standard by which golfers judge their performance is "par." Anyone who gets a hole-in-one on any hole (no matter what par is) has reason to celebrate. Rocco shot two strokes under par on that one hole. He became the new standard for his golfing family members on that particular hole.

Whether par, two strokes under par, or a hole-in-one are the standard, it is a moving target. Rocco's family members who play golf with the hole-in-one wonder could use any of those measurements to determine whether they lived up to a golf standard. They could argue over what would be a fair assessment of golfing success based on what the young golfer accomplished.

When it comes to the standard for us as human beings, especially those who are followers of Christ, the standard cannot be debated. God, Himself is the standard of what is right, fair, and equitable. People may think they can one day quibble with God over His measurement of their lives. But, the reality is that God - as He always has been - is, and always will be, the measurement of righteousness.

Nothing and no one can replace or redefine the standard of God. Conviction sets in when we realize we will be accountable to God and that He Himself establishes the bar in terms of how we will be evaluated and judged. But, joy can also be found in such a clear and gracious standard. He is holy, perfect, and right. Nothing will ever change that. He is loving, merciful, and gracious. Nothing will ever change that.

Today's attribute of God is that He is just. God is righteous and holy, fair, and equitable in all things. We can trust Him always to do what is right. In Psalm 89:14 says, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you."

Our world is full of unrighteousness and injustice among human beings. Our God is not. With other people, we can feel slighted or treated unfairly. With God, that will never happen. He is right, fair, and true. He is just. We can rest in that aspect of Who our God is for us every day!

Many golfers think it so unfair that Rocco, at age four, hit his first hole in one - and they haven't ever hit one. The standard may have adjusted for those playing with Rocco. They may now think the standard isn't par anymore. Success to them might mean a hole-in-one and nothing less.

Righteousness and justice are found at the very foundation of Who God is. Nothing will ever change God's rightness. Nothing will ever redefine God. He remains just and true.

While the expectations others have of us may shift and change, our God will always treat us fairly and justly.