Revelation 16:7
And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
What a striking scene this is. John hears the altar speak. Whether that is literal or figurative, I cannot say with certainty. But this much is clear. The testimony comes from the altar. The voice declaring, True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord, rises from the place of sacrifice.
That matters.
Because when trouble hits, when life turns hard, when prayers seem unanswered, there is something in all of us that starts to question the fairness of God. We may not say it out loud, but it begins to move around inside us. Why this. Why now. Why me. Why did this happen. Why did that door close. Why did that person wound me. Why did that burden land here.
And the altar answers back.
The Cross says God is not unjust. The Cross says God is not careless. The Cross says God is not cruel. If ever there were any doubt about the heart of the Father, Calvary settled it forever. God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That means I do not interpret the Cross through my pain. I interpret my pain through the Cross.
That changes everything.
It means when I do not understand what God is doing, I can still know what He is like. It means when the trial is sharp and the road is rough, I do not have to conclude that heaven has turned against me. The altar has already spoken. The sacrifice has already been made. The blood has already been shed. And because of that, I know His judgments are true and righteous, even when they are far beyond my understanding.
Paul said it beautifully in Romans 8:32. If God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things. In other words, if the Father loved me enough to give Jesus for me, then I can trust Him in everything else. I can trust Him when the job is hard. I can trust Him when the money is tight. I can trust Him when loneliness settles in. I can trust Him when family life is heavy. I can trust Him when I do not see what He is building.
The altar keeps me from becoming bitter.
Because complaining about my circumstances often means I have drifted from Calvary in my thinking. I have forgotten the price He paid. I have lost sight of the place where love was proven beyond all argument. And when that happens, my view gets crooked. I start blessing God when things go well, then turning sour when they do not.
But the altar steadies me.
It reminds me that the God who rules my life is the God who gave His Son for my soul. That being true, everything He allows, everything He withholds, everything He appoints, and everything He delays must pass through hands marked by nails.
So let the altar alter your view. Look at every trial in the light of Calvary. Look at every question through the Cross. And when you do, even in the dark, you will begin to hear what heaven hears.
True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord.