Let the sea roar and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalm 98:7-9)

On the night of Jesus’ birth, the light of God’s glory shone around the shepherds as they were watching their sheep. It was as if this child had attracted the attention of all creation. And this wouldn’t be the last time that creation would be affected by His coming.

As we await the second coming of Christ, Scripture says that creation has been “groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:22). Creation is waiting for the fullness of time to come, when Jesus returns and makes all things right; when He ushers in a new creation; when He brings about perfect and final justice. This is what the psalmist cries out for in today’s passage––God’s righteous judgment.

The world doesn’t like to hear about God’s judgment. People pretend that their sins will not be called to account. However, we all long for an end to injustice in the world. When we think about something as tragic as human trafficking, with boys and girls being sold into slavery for evil purposes, we naturally long for God’s kingdom to come and for His justice to reign. As Christians, we rejoice with creation because the Lord will “judge the world with righteousness” (Psalm 98:9). And so we cry, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

At the same time, we know that, apart from God’s grace, we too would be condemned by God’s justice due to our sin. This is what makes Christ’s coming such good news. He has lived the perfect life that we could not live and died to take the punishment that we deserve. We are declared righteous in Him, for God is both “just” and the “justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). In Christ, we long for and rejoice in God’s justice.

PRAYING IN LIGHT OF TODAY’S PASSAGE

In light of the injustice and evils in the world, such as human trafficking, genocide, and various forms of oppression and persecution, pray for God’s justice and mercy on behalf of those who are most vulnerable.