'Justice' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 25:1-5..“For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.” vs. 4 Isaiah became a prophet through a call that he had received in the course of a remarkable temple vision. It had been a shocking experience and he said “yes” to the Lord before they had become acquainted. But as the years passed and their relationship deepened, Isaiah came to…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 5:1-7.. “Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.” vs. 1 Isaiah imagines the Lord singing a love-song for the nation of Israel and it’s rather like a country western. It starts with an image of a vineyard, one planted with care on a very fertile hill, but the refrain turns dark in a hurry, “when I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield…
Daily Devotions
Ezekiel 18:25-32… “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin.” vs. 30 The prophet was speaking to the house of Israel, the nation that had come out of the wilderness and settled in the land of Canaan. What they were doing as individuals was not his primary concern. When he calls them to repentance he…
Daily Devotions
Ezekiel 18:1-4… “Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.” vs. 4 The prophet quoted a proverb that was common in Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” The proverb was a way to understand why bad things were happening in a person’s life, and it reflects a view…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 20:10-16… “But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.’” vss. 13-14 The laborers in the vineyard had not been treated unfairly. The owner had paid them the usual daily wage, exactly what had been agreed upon when they started working. They…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 20:1-9… “When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.” vss. 3-4 There really aren’t any words that are adequate to describe the kingdom of heaven, and Jesus doesn’t even try. Instead he tells parables, stories that paint a picture of what life in the kingdom is like. He’s not talking…
Daily Devotions
Jonah 3:10-4:4…“‘And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ And the LORD said, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’” vss. 3-4 The story of Jonah probably catches our attention because of the great swallowing fish that shows up to rescue Jonah from certain death, but to focus on that is to miss the conversation he has with the Lord about his anger. Jonah did not…
Daily Devotions
Romans 12:14-21…“No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” vss. 21-22 One of the ways in which countries can gain control of others is through a process that has been called “immiseration,” the act of gaining victory through impoverishing one’s opponents. This can be done in a variety…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 67:4-7…“The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.” vss. 6-7 The psalmist today gives us an insight that we should fold into our hearts during these dark and contentious times. Yes, people are showing themselves to be liars and untrustworthy. Yes, billionaires continue to manipulate the government and the economy to amass even more wealth for themselves and their families.…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 67:1-3…“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.” vss. 1-2 In many faith communities the Aaronic Benediction from the book of Numbers is pronounced by the pastor at the close of worship. It’s a blessing for the people as they leave the sanctuary and go out into their mission field. But here, presumably as a…
Daily Devotions
Isaiah 56:1, 6-8…“Thus says the Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.” vs. 8 Some might wonder why so many of the Old Testament scriptures that are read in our congregations on a weekly basis come from the book of Isaiah. If we’ve been paying attention, the answer should be obvious. Isaiah was Jesus’ favorite! Not only was Isaiah the scroll that he chose to read when he came…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 85:10-13…“Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.” vs. 10 When we look across the political landscape of our country it’s hard to maintain a spirit of optimism. Not only is it difficult to know what is true, it’s virtually impossible to see how anything good can come of the intense polarization that is taking place. There are accusations and countercharges on every hand, and often civil discourse seems like a forgotten dream. Efforts…