TWO STEPS TO JUST LIVING

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.
Deuteronomy 16:18-20

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

From the time I began attending school as a first-grader, I can remember beginning each day by standing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The words that echoed off my classroom walls back in the mid-60’s still resonate in school classrooms today:

I pledge allegiance to the flag
Of the United States of America
And to the republic for which it stands
One nation, under God, indivisible
With liberty and justice for all

In the United States, we are a people concerned about justice and fair treatment for all. I would like to think it’s because we ARE one nation under God and we are concerned about justice because He is and was first. We only need take a look at today’s passage and see where God places a premium on justice.

We read where the people of Israel were expected to “appoint judges and officials for each of (their) tribes in every town the Lord your God (was) giving (them)”. These appointed judges were expected to “judge the people fairly”, not “pervert justice or show partiality” and “not accept a bribe” which would serve to “blind the eyes of the wise and twist the words of the righteous.” The reward for fulfilling these expectations and maintaining justice came in Israel being able to “live and possess the land the Lord your God (was) giving (them)”.

So the point is this: God expects justice to be done by all. This means that we do the right thing at all times…we act justly. The prophet Micah gave us some tips to ensure we meet the Lord’s requirement. Let’s call them two steps to just living. He said:

“…what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

Now the two steps:

1. Walk humbly with God. What does it mean to be humble? In a nutshell, we are to be obedient, compliant, meek, respectful, polite, deferential, courteous and well-mannered. We aren’t to carry ourselves around as rude or arrogant or better than others. Instead, we are to treat everyone with kindness and equality, showing grace always. We need to embody all these things but we won’t ever reach that goal if we don’t walk with God. He, and only He, will keep us grounded and away from sinful pride. He, and only He, will teach us to do step 2: Love mercy.

2. Love mercy. Once we’re walking in humility by walking with our God, we will come to love mercy. Why? Because we love God and He loves mercy. By humbling ourselves and our own desires in exchange for everything that is in God, we will find ourselves living with compassion and forgiveness and kindness and pity and empathy and understanding. We will have concern and consideration for others, sympathizing with those who are going through difficulties. In other words, we will live lives that exude mercy and do so because we love mercy.

So we are expected to walk humbly with God and love mercy…and when we do both to the measure that God commands, then we will act justly…just as He expects. My prayer is that all of God’s people will learn this lesson sooner than later. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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