'Justice' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.” vs. 22 Proverbs 8:21-31 No wonder humans have valued wisdom since the beginning. According to the book of Proverbs she was the Lord’s first creation! And as the Lord then brought the universe into existence, Wisdom was put in charge of construction, giving shape to suns and moons and their orbits, even molding the earth with all its land and oceans, mountains…
Daily Devotions
If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” vs. 17 Acts 11:11-30 This was Peter’s clinching argument as he talked to the Jerusalem leaders of the Christian community. The question was a good one, “Who was I that I could hinder God?” Peter realized that God’s will would be done, and it would be best for him if he didn’t…
Daily Devotions
He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” vss. 2-3 Isaiah 42:1-9 While Isaiah was not speaking of Jesus, he did provide a template for his ministry. There is little doubt that as Jesus began his work in Galilee he saw himself in the description of the Servant. When he…
Daily Devotions
But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.” vs.49 Luke 24:26-49 As the afternoon drew to a close on that fateful Friday, Jesus cried out, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” and breathed his last. The chief priests and the scribes lifted up the hems of their robes with thanksgiving and went home rejoicing at the death of their enemy. The repentant thief wondered and waited,…
Daily Devotions
A third time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’” vs. 23 Luke 24:1-25 The gospels present the trial of Jesus as being a complete miscarriage of justice. The charges presented by the religious leaders were misrepresentations of his words and actions and some were outright lies. Neither Herod or Pilate were convinced of his…
Daily Devotions
Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” vss. 23-24 Amos 5:21-24 During Israel’s golden age, the time of its greatest prosperity, Amos came out of the wilderness of Judah with a message from the Lord. To put it bluntly, there was nothing that the people were doing that was pleasing. They were cheating the poor,…
Daily Devotions
Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.” vs. 60 Acts 7:59-60 Alone among the gospel writers, Luke reports that Jesus spoke words of forgiveness from the cross, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” And now we hear similar words from the first martyr, Stephen, as he is being stoned. Their voices remind us that sometimes…
Daily Devotions
He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” vss. 2-3 Isaiah 42:1-9 Isaiah’s descriptions of the Servant have been an inspiration to people of faith for centuries. While he likely intended them to refer to Israel’s mission and purpose as the called people of God, they obviously impacted Jesus’ understanding…
Daily Devotions
It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.” vss. 5-6 Psalm 112:1-9 Life goes well with people who are righteous and generous; their love of justice and mercy will be remembered forever. That’s the way it’s always been, the psalmist assures us, and that’s the way it will always be. Some would call this ancient observation a universal truth, a…
Daily Devotions
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” vs. 11 Matthew 5:7-12 Most servants of Jesus have the expectation that they will be appreciated and loved as they walk in his way, especially if they treat others with kindness and maintain a spirit of humility in their interactions. So they wonder why he implied in this Beatitude that at least some of his followers would be…
Daily Devotions
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” vs. 8 Micah 6:6-8 Sometimes folks act as though they’re confused about how they ought to live out their lives on this blue orb. On one hand this is understandable. There are a bunch of options out there, and it’s not always easy to choose among them. But…
Daily Devotions
He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’” vss. 2-3 Isaiah 49:1-4 In spite of external appearances like the destruction of Jerusalem and the ensuing captivity in Babylon, the prophet continued to believe that Israel would one day bring glory to God.…