JUSTICE

 

Write From My Heart

April 30, 2021

 

JUSTICE sound reasoning; upholding what is correct or fair

 

Isaiah 59:14-15 (NIV) So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice.

 

Note to the reader:  Although many words in this passage have similar meanings; over the next six days we will ponder some of the nuances (e.g., slight variations in meaning or expression) to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of God’s Word and what it means for us today.

 

Ponder this:  What Isaiah spoke some 2,300+ years ago could just as easily be today’s headlines. We have come to the place in our society where what is correct or fair is not only pushed into the background—but worse; we are being indoctrinated to accept that which is correct or fair in the minds of, and to the benefit of, a select few. Our sense of sound reasoning is becoming an extinct character trait. Do you understand what justice is? What will you do to uphold it?

RESPOND

 

Write From My Heart

April 29, 2021

 

RESPOND  to act in return, as if to answer

 

James 1:22-25 (NIV)  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does  not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

 

Ponder this: A response to something that was heard might be active or inactive. One can respond to something they heard by apathy and indifference (e.g., doing nothing)—simply ignoring the advice in hopes that it will vanish and soon be forgotten. Or one can respond to something they heard by application—putting it into practice. For the Christian, our choice is clear. When God speaks to us through his written Word, we are to listen, to understand, and to make it a part of our daily life; the nature of who we are in Christ.

LISTEN

 

Write From My Heart

April 28, 2021

 

LISTEN  attend closely; give heed, take advice

 

The prophet Isaiah’s indictment (i.e., accusation, charge) against the people:

Isaiah 6:9-10 (NIV)  “Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.”

 

Ponder this: A person can hear without listening. Listening requires effort. Listening attentively is a mental activity; it requires concentration in order to create comprehension—making sense of what you just heard. Listening leads to response. Are you listening well enough to the Word of God that you understand it and are able to put it into action effectively and faithfully?