Do you ever feel like the darkness is winning? Do you look at our world, the news, and popular culture and become discouraged that we don’t seem to be making much headway as Christians? I do.

It is disheartening to hear the name Christ used in vain, the rise of profanity in every arena of entertainment, of Christians vilified as evil, and of ungodliness celebrated as something good.

The Prophet Isiah wrote,

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;

Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;

Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes

And clever in their own sight!

22 Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine

And valiant men in mixing strong drink,

23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe,

And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right! (Is. 5:20-25)

Sounds like our age, doesn’t it? When will there be justice?

At least ten times in the Scriptures, one of God’s servants cries out, “How long, O Lord?” Sometimes, it’s for personal deliverance from unjust treatment, and sometimes, it’s for justice for those who suffer in the name of Christ (Rev. 6:9).

Indeed, “How long, O Lord?” How long will You put up with this? When will there be justice? When will you right the wrongs that daily discourage us? We have our timetable, and God has his. We want immediate relief, but God will bring justice at His appointed time. For now, wait on the Lord.

But we must lay hold of the assurance of the promises God has sworn by His very name and character. We long for justice, and so the Lord’s Servant will bring it, “he will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law” (Is. 42:4). We are to wait in hope, expectantly for God to bring justice to the earth. The Servant of the Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ, will come “to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”

Is the darkness winning? No, the darkness does not win. We are assured of that: “Behold, the former things have come to pass; now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you” (Is. 42:9).

Hope expectantly, pray expectantly, and live expectantly. We can live patiently with promised assurance, for the Servant of the Lord is our Lord, “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations” (Is. 42:1).