Justice
Each day I try to read a chapter from Proverbs. Proverbs is such a practical book for one who is practicing the Christian faith, and it is filled with such wisdom, that I never tire of reaping the benefits of the nuggets of truth found therein.
Today being September 26, I read Proverbs 26 and was struck by the theme of justice. We are warned repeatedly in this chapter about the folly of foolishness and the inability of wisdom and foolishness to coexist. Did you know that Solomon never prayed for riches, even though his wealth was legendary? Instead, Solomon prayed for wisdom and he was rewarded with long life on the one hand and wisdom on the other hand. When we pray for the right things, with the right motive, we might be surprised by receiving more from God than we ever expected.
Proverbs 26 goes on to admonish against laziness, gossip and even maliciousness. If we are in Christ, why should we be concerned with such warnings? I believe it is because even those who are intentional disciples can find themselves on a detour from time to time. I don’t consider myself to be lazy, a gossip or malicious, but that does not mean I have never been guilty of such activities. For this reason, I think it is vital that we stay connected to God’s word. If I read about God’s plan for my life in the morning, it is less likely I will act against His will in the afternoon.
Moving on to Ephesians 1 we find Paul writing to the church at Ephesus where he begins by praising God for His blessings. He goes on to talk about our being chosen by God before the foundation of the world. Does anyone else find it awesome that God knew about each one of us before the world was formed? If God were human, I can imagine an outline detailing creation and salvation that would literally stretch around the earth hundreds of times–perhaps thousands of times. Instead, God spoke the world into existence, gave us free choice so that our worship of Him would be free and then sealed us in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul then goes on to give God praise for the Ephesians and prays that God would give them wisdom and revelation which leads to what? Paul says it leads to a greater knowledge of who Christ is. Isn’t that the goal of every intentional disciple? Isn’t that your goal?
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Seeking Holiness 