Giving Justice: A Call Beyond the Courtroom

Psalm 82:3 NLT

Today is Juneteenth. The day that we commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. A clear example of justice. Are we tired of talking about justice yet? Try as I might, I am unable to move away from this timely topic. It continues to rise to the surface, not just in the world around me, but deep within my spirit.

I sat in silence the other day, Bible open on my lap, heart weighed down by headlines and heartbreak. I wasn’t looking for a sermon or even a solution, just a moment to be still before the Lord. My eyes landed on Psalm 82:3 (NLT):

“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.”

I’ve read that verse before, even quoted it in discussions about advocacy and righteousness. But on this particular day, one word refused to let me skim past it: “Give.”

The verse didn’t say be just, although that’s a biblical mandate. It didn’t say do justice, though we’re certainly called to that too. It didn’t even say seek justice, which we hear echoed through the cries of the prophets. It said: Give. Justice.

I paused and read it again. And again. What does it mean to give justice? We often think of justice as something abstract, something that belongs to institutions, legal systems, and government reform. Or perhaps we consider it a moral attribute, a character trait we cultivate as believers walking in the fear of the Lord. But giving justice implies something more active, more personal, more generous. It implies that justice is something we possess and have the power to extend.

And here is the powerful truth: If Christ is in us, then justice is ours to give. We carry His Spirit, His nature, His heart for righteousness. That means justice is not just something we pursue externally. It is something we can release internally.

It’s one thing to want fairness for all. It’s another thing to sow justice into the lives of others as though it were seed and to believe it will grow.

Giving justice means using what we have—our voice, our position, our resources, our empathy—to right a wrong that doesn’t directly benefit us. It means seeing someone else's pain and deciding not only to acknowledge it but to step in and do something about it. It’s not charity. It’s not pity. It’s a divine exchange.

Justice, when given, restores. It affirms dignity. It repositions the lowly. It remembers the forgotten.

I thought about the times I’ve prayed for justice. For the Lord to make things right. To avenge. To reveal. To shift the balance in favor of the oppressed. I’ve even cried out for justice in my own life, asking for vindication when I felt misunderstood or mistreated. But rarely have I prayed, “Lord, make me a giver of justice.”

And yet, isn’t that what sowing is about? We sow kindness expecting kindness. We sow mercy expecting mercy. So why not justice?

In the kingdom of God, sowing and reaping are not transactional. They’re transformational. Giving justice today plants a seed that may grow into equity for generations. Giving justice today might not benefit us directly, but it creates space for heaven’s order to break through on earth.

This type of giving isn’t always clean or convenient. Sometimes it means speaking up when staying silent would protect our reputation. Sometimes it means elevating someone else’s cause when we’d rather highlight our own. Sometimes it means sharing resources, relinquishing power, or simply listening when every part of us wants to walk away.

But here's the beauty of it. When we give justice, we participate in God’s heart. We reflect the very nature of the One who never overlooks the marginalized. We become vessels of restoration in a world that thrives on exploitation.

Giving justice is not reserved for kings, courts, or conferences. It is the call of every believer. And it’s the type of seed that, when sown with humility and compassion, never fails to yield a harvest in due season.

So today, let us not only be just people. Let us not only do justly. Let us not only seek justice. Let us give it freely, faithfully, and fully.

Because if Christ is in us, then justice lives in us too. And in the kingdom of God, justice given is justice multiplied.