Justice and Righteousness

Readings for today: Isaiah 1-4

Yesterday was the 4th of July. A day to celebrate the birth of the United States of America. A day to honor the principles on which she was founded. I love how the preamble of United States Constitution lays it out. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” This is a statement loaded with all kinds of meaning, much of which has come under fierce debate some 249 years after the first 4th of July celebration. Whereas the original founders all generally shared a common, biblical understanding of words like “union”, “justice”, “tranquility”, “welfare”, and “blessings”, the definitions of those terms now vary widely depending on your particular political or social or religious point of view. It’s why our fights are so fierce these days. The very heart of our country is at stake. If we can’t find common ground on key ideas like justice, we will never be able to form the more perfect union our hearts desire.

Interestingly enough, the prophet Isaiah was facing a similar situation in ancient Judah. His career spanned the lifetimes of several kings and he saw firsthand how their decisions impacted the nation. He was a court prophet. He spent his time in the royal household and among the leaders of his country. His calling was to preach God’s Word and speak truth to power in the very throne room of the king. And what lay at the heart of Isaiah’s message? Justice. Righteousness. Welfare. Peace. The very things our founding fathers wrote into our constitution. “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause. Zion will be redeemed by justice, those who repent, by righteousness.” (Isaiah‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬-‭17‬, ‭27‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

One of the great temptations we face as Christians is to fall into the trap of believing one political party is more “righteous” than the other. The reality is both are corrupt. Both fall short. Both fail to meet God’s standard for justice and righteousness and welfare and peace. We cannot settle for the lesser of two evils. We cannot use ungodly means to achieve godly ends. God’s standard is not of this world. God’s Kingdom is not of this world. And the people of God should never stop praying and advocating and fighting for God’s will and God’s Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven. This means we should never stop seeking divine justice over human justice. Divine righteousness over human righteousness. Divine compassion over human compassion. Divine peace over human peace. This world cannot deliver what our hearts truly desire. And it is only as we seek God that we will find ourselves becoming capable of the kind of justice and righteousness and compassion and peace He promises.

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

Righteousness

Readings for today: Hosea 10-14

The Christian life is a righteous life. It is a life aligned with God’s heart and God’s will. It is a life lived in concert with God’s purposes and plans. It is a life of humility before the Lord. A life of peace with God. A life surrendered to His way and His truth. It is also a life that runs counter to the way of the world. It cuts against the grain of every human culture. It is a narrow way. A road less taken. A path less trodden. Not because it has been tried and found wanting but because it is has been found difficult and left untried. (GK Chesterton) Last evening, I sat around the table with people I love. They are young and just beginning to make their way in the world. They talked about their anxieties and fears. They talked about the temptations they face. They talked about how so many of their friends are hurting and suffering. And it broke my heart. Why do we resist the righteousness of God when the unrighteousness of this world has so little to offer in return?

Perhaps that’s why I love what the prophet Hosea says in our reading today. “Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your unplowed ground. It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.” (Hosea‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬ ‭CSB) I have found these words to be true in my own life. The more I surrender to the Lord, the more I experience the blessing of His abiding presence in my life. The more I align my life with His life, the more I find fulfillment and contentment and joy. The more I seek His face and obey His commands, the more I am at peace. No longer at war with myself. No longer at war with those around me. No longer at war with the world. Most importantly, no longer at war with God.

Regular self-examination is the key or as Hosea puts it, “breaking up your unplowed ground.” There is so much of my life and heart and thoughts and feelings that has yet to examined. So much ground in my life that has yet to be plowed. So much I am not even aware of and that is why coming before the Lord daily and asking His Spirit to till the soil of my heart is critical. As the Spirit breaks up the unplowed ground, new life emerges. He sows the seeds of righteousness and I reap the fruit of faithful love. This requires intentionality. One must regularly and often submit themselves to the Holy Spirit. It also requires humility. One must surrender to His will when unrighteous aspects of one’s life are revealed. We must let go of thoughts, attitudes, and actions that are not aligned with God. We must be willing to reprioritize and reorder our loves so we might align with His love. Self-examination is one of the primary ways we “seek the Lord until He comes” and it is one of the most effective ways to pursue righteousness in your life.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 1-4

Anyone

Readings for today: Amos 6-9

God can use anyone. From any background or life experience. From any nation, clan, tribe, or family. No matter how young or old. No matter how rich or poor. From every level of education. No matter your caste or social status. God can use you. All he requires is a ready and willing heart. A humble spirit. Open hands. This is what marked Amos. He was not a priest. He didn’t come from a line of prophets. He was not part of the royal family. He was a simple man. A working man. A man accustomed to hard labor. He was a herdsman. A harvester of figs. Listen to how he describes himself to the powerful people in the northern kingdom of Israel. “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’” (Amos‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The Lord took him from the flock and made him a prophet. It’s a great reminder that God doesn’t so much call the qualified as He qualifies the called. At the heart of the prophetic task was the ability to hear and obey God’s voice. To respond to the will of the Holy Spirit. The courage to speak God’s truth to power. The endurance to persevere no matter what the cost. Amos was all of this and more and he stands in a long of line of unlikely people whom God used to call His people back to repentance. Back to faith. Back to the covenant. Amos speaks specifically to the injustices of his day. He sees the wealth gap between rich and poor. He sees how the poor and powerless were being exploited by the rich and powerful. He sees all the idolatry. He sees all the oppression and injustice. And he sees visions of God’s righteous judgment. Like most prophets, he also sees a time when Israel will return to the Lord so he offers a note of hope. He sees a time when God will again show His people mercy and restore their fortunes. “I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel. They will rebuild and occupy ruined cities, plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their produce. I will plant them on their land, and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them. The Lord your God has spoken.” (Amos‬ ‭9‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB)

Again, God can use anyone. I remember when God first called me. I was a failed college student with little to no qualifications and nothing to suggest I would make anything of my life. However, I was desperate enough to say “yes” and Jesus has taken me on an adventure greater than any I could have planned or imagined. What about you? Where do you find yourself today? Are you willing to say “yes” to the Lord like Amos and so many others who have gone before you? What’s holding you back? What’s stopping you? What’s keeping you from living out God’s call on your life? Remember, God qualifies those whom He calls. All He needs is a willing heart and a humble spirit and open hands.

Readings for tomorrow: Hosea 1-5

Good and Evil

Readings for today: Amos 1-5

Two conversations. Both with pastors. Both godly men leading vital and vibrant congregations. Both dear friends of mine. The first conversation took place a few weeks back at a denominational event I was part of where I asked my friend how he stays up on the news. Social media? Cable news? News apps? “I don’t do any of that”, he replied, “for the sake of my mental health.” The second conversation took place this week with a local pastor in a community just north of us. As soon as we sat down, he wanted to talk about the Supreme Court decisions that came down that morning that will impact his community. It was clear he’s plugged in and very aware of what’s happening in our culture. As I read through Amos this morning, I found myself wondering what he would say to both pastors.

We are about to begin a journey through the prophetic literature of the Old Testament. The words we read are delivered to the people of God at specific times in specific seasons to address specific issues happening in the world around them. The prophets take no prisoners. They speak God’s Word with boldness and passion and without fear of consequences. They often suffer terribly as a result. They are often supernaturally aware of what’s happening in the courts of kings and princes who govern the different tribal kingdoms around them. They see the injustices and oppression taking place. They take up the cause of the poor and powerless. They fight for the orphan and widow. They never stop calling God’s people to repentance. They are non-partisan. They are more committed to God’s Kingdom than to any human kingdom, even the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. They are not hypocrites. They don’t make excuses for “their team” while attacking those on the “other team.” They simply call good, good and evil, evil. Listen again to the words of Amos for example, “Pursue good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord, the God of Armies, will be with you as you have claimed. Hate evil and love good; establish justice at the city gate. Perhaps the Lord, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” (Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭CSB)

So back to my two friends. I think Amos would have some challenging words to the first pastor. I believe he would challenge my friend to push past his anxiety and fear and engage the culture. I believe he would challenge my friend to follow the news and pay attention to what our local, state, and national leaders are saying. I believe he would challenge my friend to get involved in public policy discussions and teach his people how to engage those discussions with boldness and passion and grace and love. I also think Amos would have some affirming words for the second pastor. I believe he would affirm his willingness to wade into difficult conversations. I believe he would affirm my friend’s willingness to speak prophetically on behalf of his people. Most of all, I believe he would challenge both pastors to remain more committed to God’s Kingdom than to any kingdom of this world. Stay true to God’s Word above any political party or platform and call out both good and evil when they see it. Of course, Amos’ words are not just for my friends. They are for all of us. May we prove faithful.

Readings for tomorrow: Amos 6-9