During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor
and upholds the cause of the needy.
Psalm 140:12
Have you ever been truly angry about injustice and desired vengeance? With bitterness and anger raging in your heart, you may have plotted and planned how you could carry out your revenge. Perhaps you thought it was right because what the other person did was very wrong. Perhaps you felt that you needed to act because no one else would. But the Bible tells us that the Lord is the one who is to avenge injustice (Romans 12:19).
This solution may feel weak because it does not satisfy our need for revenge. But God’s divine justice is powerful, and His love is never-ending. He judges injustice rightly and destroys it—but often not when or how we would like. Ask Him to bring justice. He is mighty enough to bring justice and tender enough to heal your heart.
Encourage the students to ask their family members about where they feel the safest. They can then share that God is our sanctuary, and He will avenge injustice.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Welcome the students as they arrive. Ask them if they saw opportunities to encourage justice this past week. Allow them to share their stories with others until you are ready to begin class.
When you are ready to begin the lesson, ask the students to stand in a circle. Choose a teen to start counting off by saying, “1,” and have the teen next to him say, “2.” Have the students continue counting off around the circle—1, 2, 1, 2—until you get back to the first person. Then have the students hold hands.
When I tell you to start, everyone will lean either in or out, depending on the number you said. You must keep your body stiff and straight like a board. Do not bend over. Be sure to keep holding hands with the people beside you.
All of you who said “1” will lean forward, and all of you who said “2” will lean back. In order for no one to fall, you must trust the others in the circle. You need to hold hands tightly and really lean as far as you can without bending. If you do not lean forward or back fully, you or the people next to you may fall. Start!
Allow the students to lean forward or back. Some of them probably will not lean fully, which could cause them or others to start to fall. If this happens, have them all stand in the circle in the same order again and keep trying until they are able to successfully lean and not fall. Then have the students switch the directions they are leaning. Those who were leaning forward will now lean back, and the students who were leaning back will now lean forward. Repeat the activity until they all remain standing.
Guide the students to understand it was because they did not trust each other to hold one another up.
Guide the teens to understand that it was easier the second time because they already knew how the activity worked and that they had to trust one another to be successful.
God sees you and knows every part of you. He knows when you are sad or happy, lonely or angry, and He understands. You can trust Him even when you experience injustice. You can lean into Him and trust that He will bring justice.
The book of Psalms in the Bible is a collection of prayers written as poetry and songs. The people who wrote the psalms were very honest with God. They told Him how they felt and what they thought. Some of the psalms are happy, joyful songs of praise. Other psalms express anger and the desire for revenge on enemies. Some psalms are sad prayers of grief and despair.
Listen as I read a psalm now. Try to notice the emotions the writer was expressing.
Have a student read Psalm 13 aloud from the Bible. If that ihttps://youtu.be/r5L6QlAH3L4s not possible, the verses are printed here for you.
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
Psalm 13
Students may say impatience, frustration, fear, sorrow, sense of injustice, confidence, trust, joy, and gratefulness.
Students may say abandonment, sadness, defeat, and joy.
In this psalm, the writer feels abandoned and sad, and he is afraid that his enemies will have victory over him. But then he reminds himself that he can trust in God to bring justice.
Let’s listen to another psalm. Pay attention to the emotions you hear and how they relate to justice.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught because of what my enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger. My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.
Psalm 55: 1–5
As for me, I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.
Psalm 55: 16–17
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you.
Psalm 55: 22–23
Students may answer hopelessness, sadness, fear, anger, and hopefulness.
Teens may share similar emotions to the ones they shared for the previous question. They may also add that the writer expressed a desire for revenge or justice.
These writers had experienced injustice, and they were very honest with God about it. They cried out to Him and told Him exactly what they were feeling, including their sadness, fear, and anger. They expressed their desire for vengeance. They even asked God why He had allowed these things to happen to them.
When we experience injustice or when we see others who are being treated unjustly, our responses are often similar. We feel sad, afraid, and angry. We wonder how someone could mistreat another person in this way. Sometimes we grow angry, wanting to seek revenge for the mistreatment. Sometimes we feel helpless and hopeless as though there is nothing we can do to stop it or change it.
In their sadness and anger, the psalmists did not forget who God was. What did they recognize at the end of their psalms?
They realised they could trust God.
Teacher Tip: If some students live with continual injustice such as abuse, they may feel hopeless at times. If you think any are facing situations like this, try to get help for them. Offer to pray with them. Encourage them by reminding them that God will bring justice, either here in this life or in eternity. Remind them that He loves them and is with them always.
These writers remembered God’s character. They praised Him for always being good and just. And, though they desired vengeance, they trusted Him to bring justice in their situations.
Students may answer that He loves us, He saves us, He is trustworthy, He hears us when we cry out to Him, He defends us, His love never fails, and He is good.
The psalmists let the injustice they experienced draw them closer to God, not away from Him. Though they desired vengeance, they knew that God is the final judge, and they left justice up to Him.
It is normal to feel angry with people who have mistreated you or others, and it is common to feel as though you want to seek vengeance. But though vengeance may seem like the best way to handle your anger and stop the injustice from happening, vengeance does not work. Here are some reasons that seeking vengeance is not the answer:
When you become focused on anger and hate, you cannot heal. Living in anger can cause physical and emotional problems. Instead of feeling better when you seek revenge, you often feel worse, as bitterness fills your heart.
Seeking vengeance may cause you to do something unjust. When you respond to injustice with acts of anger, it often leads to violence, immoral choices, and even more injustice.
Vengeance does not fix or erase the original injustice. Though it may create a difficult situation for the person you are seeking vengeance against, it will not help the person who was treated unjustly.
Vengeance does not lead to lasting, positive change in a situation where healing and hope are needed. Remember that God’s justice is about restoring things to the way He intended for them to be. Though vengeance may create temporary feelings of relief and righteousness, these feelings do not last. They are soon replaced by anger and bitterness again.
The Bible tells us clearly that we should not seek vengeance.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:19
We can trust God to avenge injustice. He will punish those who treat others unjustly. While God does bring justice, He does not always do it the way we want Him to—or even in ways we understand. But we can trust His ways even when we do not understand them.
So what is the appropriate way for us to respond to injustice? The Bible tells us what we should do instead of seeking vengeance.
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:9
With blessing, or kindness and forgiveness.
Remember that God’s justice seeks to restore and bring healing to the people and the situation. That is why returning good for evil is so powerful. God’s instruction to us to repay evil with good is not possible on our own. It can only be done through God’s power. On our own, we remain angry and continue to desire revenge.
Responding to injustice with anger and vengeance only creates more anger and vengeance. But being kind to and forgiving someone who has been unjust can help to create positive, lasting change and healing.
Our normal human responses to injustice are anger and the desire for revenge. But when we let these emotions rule our hearts, we experience more anger and vengeful feelings. We do not experience healing or create change in our families and communities to prevent future injustices. We create a circle of anger and revenge that never ends.
But when we trust God and ask for His help in trying to respond with good, it can help us to heal. It can help others to see that kindness and respect are always better than injustice. When we trust God to bring justice and treat others with kindness, respect, and forgiveness, God can begin to bring change in our families and communities.
When we see or experience injustice, we may wonder why God does not punish the person for what he has done. It may seem like unjust people continue to succeed and thrive and do not receive any punishment for what they have done. We may become angry and wonder if God has abandoned us or if He does not care about the injustice. But listen to another psalm that tells us more about trusting Him to bring justice.
Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills.
Psalm 73: 1–5
When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
Psalm 73: 16–18
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.
Psalm 73: 27–28
In this psalm, the writer takes his anger and frustration into the presence of God, where he finds refuge or shelter. He trusts that God will bring justice in the situation.
We can cry out to God, just as the writers of the psalms did. God will never leave us. When we see or experience injustice, we can cry out to Him, and He hears us.
We will create our own psalms about bringing injustice to God. Your song may sound like a rhythmic poem, a song we sing in church, or even a rap.
Psalms often begin with praise to God, so that is a good place to start. You could start by thinking about how God loves justice and wants to bring restoration. As you think about an injustice you have seen or experienced, share your emotions with God. Tell Him exactly how you feel. If you are angry with someone who has mistreated you, share it with God. If you are hurt about something evil that happened to you, tell Him about it. If you are feeling sad or lonely, ask God to comfort you. Then end your psalm with words of faith or praise, just like the psalms we read earlier. Your psalm might be just a few lines long.
Even if you are unsure about trusting God with your anger, pain, sadness, or fear, think about your emotions and whom you can share them with. Feeling vengeful, angry, sad, and bitter can keep you from healing, so it is important to share these emotions with people you trust.
Give the students a few minutes to think of their psalms about justice. After about 5 minutes, ask if any students would like to share their psalms with the class. Allow a few students to share. Be sure that everyone encourages the students who share.
Optional:
If you have paper and pencils, have the students write their psalms on paper. They can work in groups or individually.
If you are using the Student Pages, the teens can write their psalms on these pages.
End of Option.
When the students are done with their psalms, have them stand in a circle and count off by 1s and 2s as you did at the beginning of the class. Then have them repeat the trust circle from the beginning of class.
When we seek vengeance for injustice on our own, things are broken, and we may fall, as we did when we first tried this activity at the beginning of class. But when we learn to trust God to bring justice, we create a circle of trust. We can know that we are being held up by God, who loves us and always brings justice. We can trust Him to know what is good and right and true.
End class with a blessing based on Psalm 103:6, 22:
Blessing: May you trust the Lord, who brings righteousness and justice for the oppressed. May you bless the Lord with all your soul for His control over all things and all that He has done.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
