A Devotional For Students

Do the Right Thing
Justice. You can't read more than a chapter or two in any of the Minor Prophets without a cry for justice leaping off the pages. Not that it is a minor theme found only in these books. God has sewn a broad thread of compassion for the oppressed throughout the tapestry of the Bible. But here in the books of the Minor Prophets, it becomes a central theme.

Check out Amos 5:24: 'I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.'

Over and over, God told Israel that they were not to be like the other nations; they were to hold to a higher standard. The other nations took advantage of the poor, allowing the wealthy and powerful to grow fat off of their labor. God wanted his people to treat the less fortunate with compassion and fairness. In Proverbs 14:31, God even goes so far as to identify with the poor: 'Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him.'

Other nations considered widows, orphans, and foreigners as second-class citizens. But in Israel, these individuals were to be treated with dignity. 'This is what the LORD of Heaven's Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other' (Zech 7:9-10).

We are confronted today with many opportunities to do the right thing. The plight of the homeless, the distress of our inner cities, the suffering of the hungry, questions of racial and economic fairness, the struggle for peace--these and countless other issues cry out for people of courage, compassion, and conviction to stand strong for justice in Jesus' name. God is vitally concerned for the widow, the orphan, the Somali Bantu refugee, the crack-addicted baby--anyone who suffers and needs help.

Are you?