August 2, 2015 • Life for Leaders
For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.”
Psalm 11:7
Psalm 11 explains God’s relationship to justice in terms of love. Verse 7 reads, “For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds.” This translation is possible, though it could also be rendered, “For the just LORD loves justice” or “For the righteous LORD loves righteous deeds.” The Hebrew uses the adjective tzaddiq in reference to the Lord and the plural noun tzedaqot to depict that which he loves. Even without knowing Hebrew, you can see the close relationship between these two words, which are based on the tz-d-q root.
In English, we often make a distinction between righteousness and justice. Righteousness has to do more with personal morality, with acting rightly according to some standard. Justice is a matter of legality or societal structures. In Hebrew, however, the words based on the tz-d-q root embrace both personal morality and legal/social relationships. Thus, God as tzaddiq is both righteous and just. God loves both personal righteousness and social justice.
Why? Why is God a lover of righteousness and justice? Because these realities reflect God’s own nature. When we do what is right, we are not just acting properly, but also mirroring God’s own nature. The same is true when we seek justice in our relationships, our work, and in our world.
Doing what God loves is surely a sufficient motivation for us as we live our lives in this world. Whether in the workplace or in the civic square, whether among our neighbors or in our families, whether in our leadership or followership, we want to do the things that God loves. But verse 7 adds a further motivation for such behavior: “The upright will behold his face.” When we live in a way that pleases God, we will see God more clearly. Our hearts and minds will be attuned to the Lord so that we might be attuned to his presence both within and around us.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
Do you truly desire to do that which God loves? What increases this desire? What conflicts with this desire?
How might you live today as a reflection of God’s own righteousness and justice?
PRAYER:
God of righteousness and justice, may I love what you love. May I desire what you desire. May I seek what you seek. May I live in such a way that you love my deeds, my relationships, my work.
Help me, I pray, to consider you as I live my life today. Even when I’m doing that which tends to be called “secular,” may I do it for your delight and glory because it all matters to you.
Gracious God, may I see your face. May I know you more truly. May I continuously grow in my relationship with you. Amen.
P.S. An earlier version of this devotion appeared at The High Calling. Used with permission under a Creative Commons license.
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders, and the founder of the De Pree Center’s Flourishing in the Third Third of Life Initiative. Previously, Mark was the Executive Director of the De Pree Center, the lead pastor of a church in Southern California, and the Senior Director of Laity Lodge in Texas. He has written eight books, dozens of articles, and over 2,500 devotions that help people discover the difference God makes in their daily life and leadership. With a Ph.D. in New Testament from Harvard, Mark teaches at Fuller Seminary, most recently in his D.Min. cohort on “Faith, Work, Economics, and Vocation.” Mark is married to Linda, a marriage and family counselor, spiritual director, and executive coach. Their two grown children are educators on the high school and college level.
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