Justice and Truth | Discipleship Prayer Day 14

Too often, grace-filled and self-sacrificial love that leads to restorative justice has been replaced with retribution-based condemnation void of grace.

Let justice and truth be always on my mind and on my lips.

The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. ―  Psalm 33:5

The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

Righteousness means to do what is right, to be faithful, to be truthful, and to be characterized by integrity. It means that our actions and decisions are grounded in the truth revealed to us in Jesus Christ.  Justice points to law, rightness, requirements, and proper practices.  Living justly means living according to the regulations and requirements of the place or person to whom we pledge our deepest allegiance.

For the believer—those who sincerely put their trust daily in Christ—this righteousness and justice is characterized by the unfailing love of God.  The Law of Love was given to us by Christ as the all-encompassing standard of life; the measuring stick for our lives as God’s kingdom-dwelling people. Simply put, this law state that we are to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength…and to love people with an active, holy, Christlike love that desires the best for them. God’s righteousness and justice permeates our world only as much as the Body of Christ (the Church) lives out the Law of Love in our daily lives.

So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. ―  Isaiah 59:14

“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!” ―  Deuteronomy 27:19

Unfortunately, those who claim to have put their trust in Christ have often failed to fill the world with this kind of love-based justice. Too often, grace-filled mercy and self-sacrificial love that leads to restorative justice has been replaced with retribution-based condemnation void of grace. The foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow represent those without resources or opportunity take care of themselves. In a spiritual sense those who do not have adequate resources or the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ in a meaningful, relevant way become our responsibility. In the words of Deuteronomy, cursed are those who speak and act in ways that deprive them from knowing and understanding the good, life-changing, transforming gospel of Jesus Christ.

“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. ―  Zechariah 7:9

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. ―  Isaiah 1:17

Justice, mercy, and compassion.

For all, of course, but let us pay special attention to those who are otherwise forgotten.

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