Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. (Psalm 89:14 NIV)
I understand Isaiah to mean that as righteousness and justice are the basis of YHWH’s reign, love and faithfulness will flow into our world. Curiously, from other Scripture, our minister preached this today. If we insist our church activities show love but are not founded on the base of God’s righteousness and justice, we are doing the tasks in our own strength. If we support charities which are unethical, our money goes to waste. I send money to Water Aid, having visited poor areas in Africa and seeing first-hand how essential clean and close water is to communities. I also plant a tree every day, through Treeapp. Originally, I planted a tree by watching adverts for green businesses – I now have no plastic soap, shampoo or conditioner bottles in my bathroom. Recently, however, the tree-planting is funded by regular companies, like Body Shop. I have not researched all the new advertisers – and I know I should find time to do so.
In Isaiah are some verses prophesying the coming Messiah: Is. 9:6-7. For to us a child is born… He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. Obviously these twin qualities are essential for all eternity.
A prayer from Lectio365: God of justice, when I am in the wrong, quickly put me right. Teach me to live your way of justice and help me to share the Prince of Peace with everyone I meet today. Amen.
I love when we find echoes of the Hebrew Scriptures embedded in the thoughts of New Testament writers. As I hinted earlier, I enjoy Treeapp being my proxy in places such as Nepal and Haiti. I hope God will one day judge my motive and not my lack of research. Scripture offers this: Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God …. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us because of our actions, either good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10 MSG).
Some warnings are starker: Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good but the following verse shows us the way forward: Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place (Proverbs 16:2-3 MSG).
Father God, the world we live in seems so unjust. The start we get in life is dictated by where we are born. We must be grateful for all the blessings that being born/living in this country provide.
Jesus, our Saviour, many people around the world are persecuted because they believe in you and insist on spreading your Gospel. Give us, who have complete religious freedom, your courage to live for you.
Holy Spirit, challenge us when things we do look and sound good, to search for God’s will in our words and deeds. Amen.
Elaine Kinchin
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