What Do You Love?

As I begin my walk through this New Year, I have decided that I needed to see WHAT GOD DESIRED for me. The last two blogs started this journey, and I encourage you to read them. Requirements For The New Year

Just, Justly , Justice-How Do We Act?

Today, I will look at my heart and see what I love. I must. Going back to Micah 6:8;

⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
   And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
   and to walk humbly with your God. 

 

The last time time, I discovered God has desired me to act justly. To treat all people the same, and to desire the very best for them. Like one of my dear friends Sandy reminded me; We all want justice but it is hard to give it, like God does.

As I have meditated on this verse in Micah, and read other verses in the Word, I have come to the next thing God wants from me this year. 

To Love Mercy.

Interestingly enough, to love mercy, is the only way I can act justly.

The two go hand in hand.

 Over and over again throughout Scripture we see God described as merciful. As a matter of fact, our salvation vs our damnation is the perfect example of that. We deserved to be separated eternally from Him. We deserved to die. We still do.

But, because God is BOTH just and merciful, He chose to pay for our sins Himself, through His Son, Jesus, so we wouldn't have to.

Stop right there. Just think on that for a moment.
Right now you should LOVE mercy.

Now it gets a little more difficult. This is where I must allow God to change my heart, to be like His.

Romans 12:1-2

 ¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

In view of WHAT?

God's mercy.

I am to do WHAT?

Offer my body as a living sacrifice.

HOW do I do that?

Be transformed by the renewing of my mind.

WHAT will that do?

I will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
For me.
And I will have a heart more like God's.
I will not only love mercy when it is shown to me, but,
I will love mercy so much, it will become part of my character,
and I will desire to show it, to whomever God puts in my path.
Regardless of:
Who they are.
What they have done to me or others.
Whether they are friends or self-proclaimed enemies.

With that changed mind set, I will will always act justly,
because I LOVE MERCY!

How does this look?

I think for me, and just quite possibly for you, it means:

When I am responding or reaching out to someone,

MERCY not RETRIBUTION,

will be the FIRST thing that I think of.

Today I pray O Lord, that You conform my mind, and my will to Yours. I desire to merciful like You are. Please change my heart!

Next time, what it takes to allow God to change our hearts!

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Just, Justly, Justice- How Do We Act?

Yesterday I began a look at what I needed to change to be what God desired me to be, instead of me listing my resolutions for the New Year.
I encourage you to read "Requirements For The New Year" from 1/4/2011 before you read today's blog if you haven't already. Just click on it on the right side bar.

The verse that sums up what God wants from me is Micah 6:8:

⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
   And what does the LORD require of you?   
To act justly and to love mercy
 and to walk humbly with your God. 

The Lord truly has shown me what is good. He is 100% goodness. There is nothing bad in Him or in anything He does. All He provides is good. 

Even when He must discipline us, it is good, fair and right. 

He treats everyone by the same set of standards. 

His standards are clearly shown to us in His word.

That my friend is being just.

Treating people in a fair and right way. 

Even more so, when they need to be corrected.

God is the perfect example, as always, of what justice is and how it is carried out on a daily basis.

Let's be real honest here. We all mess up. I mess up, ok, call it what it is, SIN, much more often than I should. People around me sin. God clearly says in Roman 6:23 what the justice is for sinning:

²³ For the wages of sin is death, 

Death is what justice would be each time we sin. I deserve death. You deserve death. Our best friend deserves death.  Our worst enemy deserves death.  All, deserve death.

Romans 3:23

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

BUT WAIT! I can hear some yelling at the top of their lungs now. You didn't finish the rest of Roman 6:23. It says a lot more and that is where I am ok, and friend is ok and my family is ok. 

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We like the end of Roman 6:23 much better than the beginning. In God's justice we deserve death, but instead he gives us a gift. He gives us life. And who does He give that to?
We need to look at Romans 3:22-24 for that answer:

²² This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

See that all in verse 24? It is the same all that is in verse 23. What does that mean? God does NOT show partiality. All are justified. Not given death. Not destroyed. For everyone. God looks at everyone the same way. He treats all people with the same love and heart. Some choose to reject it, but the same love and gift are offered to all.
That is acting "JUSTLY".

So what do I need to change to "act justly"?

I need to treat everyone equitably. That means the grace I show to my friends and people I like, I show to my enemies and people who have openly hurt me. That is the example God has shown. telling everyone the end of Roman 6:23, not just people I like and care for. That is acting justly.

I need to remember that the gift of life and forgiveness of sins has been offered to EVERYONE, not just those whom I care for and those people who have committed sins that I think should be forgiven.
If God has forgiven someone, I must treat them as forgiven, regardless of whether I think justice has been done.

I need to  treat people morally right. All people. I need to treat people as I would want to be treated. By them and by God. How I treat others, and the way I meet out justice will come back to me.

Matthew 7:2

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

This verse is what will help me act justly toward others. it is a reminder to me from God, on exactly what He desires. 

This is a picture of lady justice. She has a blindfold on, because true justice is impartial and the same for everyone. I believe God wants us to be impartial and love like He does. Only I need to do it without the blindfold. I need to look at people and treat them justly because God has shown me what is good. Because I know what is good, I will choose to judge others with that GOOD measure, and the benefit for me? That's how I will be judged!

Today:

I will take off my blindfold, look at everyone as the recipient of God's grace and love, and treat them as God does. 

That is to act justly.

Tomorrow, join me ad I look at the next thing that is required, and hint, it makes acting justly much easier!

Chasing After Their Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo: Luke 18:1-8 -"Answers and Faith"

Luke 18:1-8

18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (ESV)

 

Lord I bring up this prayer before you as a prayer for hope, walking in a very uncertain time, knowing that YOU will answer! I also know that You answer perfectly because You are my heavenly Father and You desire what is best for me. Verse 8 is a very unsettling verse. I pray You will find me faithful when You return. I also pray that I will be used as a tool for You so that others might be found having faith when You return. Let my prayer today not so much be for justice, but for hearts to turn to You so that You will find faith when You return. 

Today:

I will pray without ceasing.
I will have faith that God will hear and answer those prayers according to His good and perfect will!
I will remember that You gave me grace, not justice and that is what I pray for for those around me.
I will Chase after His Heart!

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson