Today is May 9th.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from Deuteronomy, chapter 10.

"16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt."

Justice is hard to come by in our world for many people. There are whole groups of people who are often deprived of justice. The phrase repeated in the scriptures that represents groups of people deprived of justice is found here in Deuteronomy: “the fatherless, the widow, and the foreigner among you.” As you look around at our world, what people have you seen experience injustice?

Moses is sharing a difficult word with the Israelites. He chastens them because the source of injustice isn’t just from the outside, it’s from the inside. It’s their attitudes that are the cause of the injustice that God condemns. As you hear the passage again, consider an attitude that you may have, a behavior you may have demonstrated, that has contributed to injustice for someone else.

"16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt."

The antidote is the character of God, Moses says. God doesn’t show partiality. He defends. He loves. He gives. He provides. As we close our time of prayer today, can you make a commitment to give your time, your activity, your money, to someone in need so that they may experience the mercy of God?

Music Credit:
"All The Same" - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)