Proverbs 3:3 "Do not let mercy and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man."
Micah 6:8 "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
I remember as a child practicing to be a tight rope walker. My friends and I had been to the circus and we were inspired by the marvelous feats of those amazing performers. We set up a 2x4 on a couple of boxes in the back yard and pretended that we were 50' above the circus floor, with thousands of admirers holding their breath as they anxiously watched us traverse the span. Our dreams of fame quickly evaporated as we realized how difficult it was to maintain our balance on a 2" wide piece of wood. How could we ever hope to walk across a taut rope?!
Keeping my balance is a challenge I still face today. It's not so much physical (although the older I get, the more it becomes an issue), as it is spiritual. How do you walk the tight rope between justice and mercy? The prophet tells me to "do justice", but to temper it with mercy. Solomon commands that I make them both ("truth and mercy") an integral part of who I am ("write the in the tablet of your heart").
On which side do you fall when you lose your balance? Do you tend toward justice or mercy? It is simple to keep things "black and white", to go by the letter of the law. That's what the Pharisees did. When you throw mercy into the mix, it becomes a little more complicated. To consistently favor mercy over justice erodes the standard and, before long, there is no basis for righteousness.
So, how do I do both? How do I temper justice with mercy? I look to Jesus as my example. He upheld the Law, but He also understood the spirit, the intent, of the law. Over and over again He challenged the Pharisees to look beyond the commands and to apply the rules mercifully. His encounter with the woman caught in adultery is the first example that comes to mind.
I must keep God's Word fresh in my heart and seek counsel from the Holy Spirit, the "Spirit of Truth". In so doing, God will help me to apply His Truth from a heart of love and compassion.
Dear Lord, I struggle every day to balance mercy and justice. Thank You for not leaving it up to my wisdom. Thank You for giving me an Example to follow, Your Word to teach me, and the Holy Spirit to guide me. Please help me to successfully walk the tight rope today. Amen
Micah 6:8 "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
I remember as a child practicing to be a tight rope walker. My friends and I had been to the circus and we were inspired by the marvelous feats of those amazing performers. We set up a 2x4 on a couple of boxes in the back yard and pretended that we were 50' above the circus floor, with thousands of admirers holding their breath as they anxiously watched us traverse the span. Our dreams of fame quickly evaporated as we realized how difficult it was to maintain our balance on a 2" wide piece of wood. How could we ever hope to walk across a taut rope?!
Keeping my balance is a challenge I still face today. It's not so much physical (although the older I get, the more it becomes an issue), as it is spiritual. How do you walk the tight rope between justice and mercy? The prophet tells me to "do justice", but to temper it with mercy. Solomon commands that I make them both ("truth and mercy") an integral part of who I am ("write the in the tablet of your heart").
On which side do you fall when you lose your balance? Do you tend toward justice or mercy? It is simple to keep things "black and white", to go by the letter of the law. That's what the Pharisees did. When you throw mercy into the mix, it becomes a little more complicated. To consistently favor mercy over justice erodes the standard and, before long, there is no basis for righteousness.
So, how do I do both? How do I temper justice with mercy? I look to Jesus as my example. He upheld the Law, but He also understood the spirit, the intent, of the law. Over and over again He challenged the Pharisees to look beyond the commands and to apply the rules mercifully. His encounter with the woman caught in adultery is the first example that comes to mind.
I must keep God's Word fresh in my heart and seek counsel from the Holy Spirit, the "Spirit of Truth". In so doing, God will help me to apply His Truth from a heart of love and compassion.
Dear Lord, I struggle every day to balance mercy and justice. Thank You for not leaving it up to my wisdom. Thank You for giving me an Example to follow, Your Word to teach me, and the Holy Spirit to guide me. Please help me to successfully walk the tight rope today. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment