When Injustice Makes You Question God's Presence (Day 285)

When Injustice Makes You Question God's Presence

by Torrie Slaughter

A Psalm A Day | Monday, October 12, 2026

Scripture Reading: Psalm 82:1–8

Monthly Focus: El Olam — The Everlasting God

Key Verse: “Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!” — Psalm 82:8 (ESV)

When Those Entrusted to Protect Become the Problem

Have you ever watched someone misuse their authority and wondered why God allowed it to continue?

Perhaps you've witnessed someone being mistreated while those with the power to intervene remained silent. Maybe you've experienced injustice personally, and the hardest part wasn't simply what happened but watching those responsible continue as though nothing was wrong.

It can leave us asking, Lord, do You see what's happening?

Psalm 82 reminds us that the answer is yes.

God Is Not Absent from the Courtroom

Psalm 82, a Psalm of Asaph, opens with a striking picture. God stands in the divine assembly and pronounces judgment among the gods. The language has been understood in different ways, including as a rebuke of unjust earthly rulers or authorities. But the central truth is unmistakable: No authority stands beyond God's judgment.

In verses 2–4, God confronts injustice directly. He condemns partiality toward the wicked and calls for justice for the weak, the fatherless, the afflicted, and the needy.

Notice what God does not do.

He does not excuse wrongdoing because the person responsible holds an important position. He does not overlook suffering because those being mistreated lack influence.

God calls those exercising authority to account.

And this matters because injustice often creates the illusion that power determines what is right.

But El Olam, the Everlasting God, existed before every earthly institution and will remain long after every human title has faded.

Human authority is temporary. God's righteousness is not.

When Injustice Shakes the Foundations

Verse 5 describes those who lack knowledge and understanding, walking in darkness, while the foundations of the earth are shaken.

What a powerful description of what happens when justice is abandoned!

When those responsible for protecting others fail to act righteously, the consequences extend beyond one individual. Families, communities, and entire societies can suffer.

We see similar concerns in Jeremiah 19–21, where God's people face the consequences of persistent rebellion and leadership that has rejected His instruction.

But Psalm 82 does not invite us merely to point fingers at corrupt leaders.

It also challenges us to examine how we respond when we encounter someone who is vulnerable.

Do we ignore their suffering because helping might inconvenience us? Do we remain silent because speaking up could cost us something?

God's concern for justice should shape the hearts and actions of those who belong to Him.

Bring Your Burden Before the Everlasting Judge

Psalm 82 ends with a prayer: “Arise, O God, judge the earth.”

Asaph does not pretend injustice is acceptable. Neither does he place ultimate confidence in human systems to make everything right.

He brings his appeal before God.

And perhaps that is where some of us need to begin today.

We may not be able to correct every wrong. We may not receive immediate answers about why certain things have been permitted to continue.

But we can refuse to let injustice convince us that God has abandoned His throne.

El Olam has not surrendered His authority simply because humanity has misused its own.

Bring Him your grief. Bring Him your questions. Ask Him for wisdom to recognize where you can act justly, defend the vulnerable, and refuse to participate in wrongdoing.

The Everlasting God sees, and His righteousness remains.

“Human authority may fail, but the Everlasting God's justice never loses its authority.”

A Prayer for Today

Everlasting Father, thank You that Your eyes are not closed to the suffering of Your people. You see the injustice we cannot correct and the burdens we struggle to explain.

Forgive us for the times we have remained silent when we should have shown compassion or acted with courage. Keep bitterness from taking root in our hearts, and teach us to pursue what is right without abandoning love and humility.

Lord, we bring before You those who are mistreated, overlooked, and without protection. Strengthen the weak, defend the vulnerable, and guide those entrusted with authority toward righteousness.

Help us trust Your character even when we cannot understand Your timing. Remind us that You are El Olam, the Everlasting God, whose justice and authority endure forever.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Today's Challenge: Turn Concern into Compassion

Identify one situation of injustice or one person who may be overlooked or vulnerable.

Begin by praying specifically about that concern. Then ask God to show you one practical, wise way to demonstrate His concern for justice. It may involve offering support, speaking truth with humility, or connecting someone with needed help.

Don't allow the weight of what you cannot change to prevent you from doing the good that is within your reach.

Carry this question into your day:

Am I allowing the injustice I see to harden my heart, or am I bringing it before God and allowing His righteousness to guide my response?

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