Be Still and Know - "I Will Be Merciful Only If You Stop Your Evil Thoughts And Deeds"

(from www.premierchristianradio.com)

1. Jeremiah 7:5-6
   
   
   
   
   
   I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols.
   
   Most of the time we probably think of justice as being something which is in the hands of other people. We look to the police and the law courts to handle issues of justice, and we wish them well as they do so. But these verses make it clear that justice is something which involves us all. We all need to think and to act justly, and that is a challenge every day of our lives. Continually, we have to make judgments about what is just, whether it’s in our family, business, school, college, church or sports club. And God was clear that he would only be merciful to his people if they were willing to take their responsibility for justice seriously.
   
   The fact is, we live in a deeply unfair world and, although massive strides have been made in recent centuries, it is still the case that there are people who suffer because of their age, gender, ethnicity, appearance, ability, education or income. The whole Bible encourages us to be on our toes. We should be looking out for those who are vulnerable in our society and, wherever we live, we won’t need to look far. It isn’t good enough to merely wish them well. We need to stand with them and explore ways in which they can be supported.
   
   
   
   The Old Testament was particularly sensitive to the vulnerability of foreigners. Having lived in another country for a few years, I easily understand the vulnerability of those who move from one country to another. But my situation was not that of a refugee. I can’t imagine how awful it would be to be forcibly displaced, but the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) believes that there are more than 80 million people in that position. And the number has doubled in the past ten years. We can’t change the world by ourselves, but we can pray and reach out to those in our own communities who need our prayers, our love and practical support.
   
   
   
   
   
   Question: What can you do to promote justice in your community?
   
   Prayer: Loving God, forgive me for the times when I have left issues of justice to others, and haven’t been eager to fight for it and protect vulnerable people. Amen