justice

Who Determines Justice?

Dr. Mike 2024 , , ,

“But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice”  Psalm 9:7

Who determines what is just? What basis measures fair play? How important is justice for the social world to function? Why does it matter?

What is government’s role? Is it not their role to establish safety and order in the land? To provide the inhabitants a place to flourish. To allow people to reflect the glory of God throughout the countryside.

When arguments and disagreements arise causing harm to others, is not the justice system to intercede? The governing party needs to exercise wise judgement. Otherwise, its people will rise up and overthrow those in power. This has been history’s lessons since records have been kept.

Scripture has much to say about government powers producing justice in the land. When wise decisions are made, the land prospers. When poor policies are implemented, the country suffers. But what determines wise and poor choices?

Most decisions involve moral principles. The argument is who determines what is good or evil. In the western developed countries, Judeo-Christian ethics has prevailed. The historical outcome demonstrates the success and failures of Biblical teachings.

Whenever a nation removes God’s truths from the daily practices of life, Pandora’s box is emptied. The ugliness of sin runs rampant. People become slaves to the state rather than free representatives of God’s domain.

The real issue of justice is whether one believes in the Judeo-Christian God or not. When HIS ways are practiced, the land lives secure. When HE is removed from the public square, carnal nature is free to roam. The outcome is unholy.

The battle for justice is a daily event. When God’s righteousness is the standard, people rejoice. When people govern without HIS wisdom and ways, oppression usually becomes the norm. The people suffer. The nation suffers. And those in power become more inhuman as they hang onto their grip over the people.

But God sees and knows. Justice is HIS to dispense. HE may seem to move slow to intervene. But HE knows how best to discipline those who are blinded in their pride and ignorance. Justice is HIS domain. I for one do not want to face the God of Righteousness without Jesus. When HE makes up HIS mind to correct the practices of injustice, it more than hurts.

Below are a few other Scriptures highlighting the importance of justice in the land. Read responsibly.

  ”He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

“…but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:24)

“Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.” (Jeremiah 22:3)

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” (Isaiah 1:17)

“But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.” (Isaiah 5:16)

“Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.” (Isaiah 59:14)

“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” (Proverbs 21:3)

“Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the Lord your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” (2 Chronicles 9:8)

“You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.” (Deuteronomy 16:19)

“He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” (Psalm 33:5)

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” (Psalm 89:14)

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.” (Matthew 12:18)

“Shall one who hates justice govern?”  (Job 34:17)

“So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.” (Hosea 12:6)

Yes, justice is God’s domain. Follow HIM and you will learn what is just and good for yourself, others, and society.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Faith-Integrator, Encourager, Scribbler

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,” (Colossians 1:9)

Books By Dr. Mike:

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-Present | Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

Look at the Evidence

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms , , ,

Proverbs 18:13

Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.

We live in a world of in-your-face social and institutional media that everything we read and see and hear is quickly digested and generally believed without facts. A 10-second video clip is shown and conclusions quickly drawn. People and actions are immediately judged and condemn on hearsay, gossip, and tribal affiliation. The Bible identifies people who act this way are foolish and immature.

One of my early mentors taught me the importance of gathering all the facts before being swayed by the initial story. One time an employee presented us with an accusation of another associate. The event if true would be grounds for termination. When I initially heard the story, anger arouse, and I wanted the person immediately removed from the company. But my mentor remained calm, thank the person for the information, and proceeded to complete his work for the day. I was dumb-founded. Wasn’t he going to act on this manner?

He did. He finished the task in front of him, then scheduled meetings with several of the people involved. After meeting with each person, and interviewing several other people involved, the whole story became known. The facts showed otherwise. The accuser’s perception of the events was an error. A person’s reputation and job were saved. And when all the real evidence became known, everyone involved could breathe fresh air again.

The moral of the story – don’t jump to conclusions until you gather all the facts from as many sources as possible. And like Steve Covey always said, First understand, then be understood.

When you allow your feelings to lead, you will fall far short of your goal. Instead, gather the evidence, study the facts, and reach a rational decision which you can uphold before others.

Facts don’t lie, feelings do. Liars may distort and twist facts toward their personal agenda, therefore the importance of you knowing the facts in their pure form becomes more necessary if you truly want to know the truth.  

When 10 facts overwhelm one fact, the answer is obvious. Yet many people know one fact of the situation and ignore the nine. They are people with a hidden agenda and don’t want the truth. They have a personal crusade and don’t care of the truth. The rational person though will want to take the whole picture into account. They will look at the entire evidence before reaching a conclusion.

So, before you jump into the shadow of your feelings, be rational, gather the evidence, and then reach your conclusion on the matter. It always sounds true when the first person speaks, but after you hear from the other side, you will most often find your initial impression is not the real picture of the entire event. The more you do this, the better you will become in evaluating the situations in your life – It’s called maturing in wisdom.    

PS: If you haven’t yet included the Book of Proverbs into your devotional reading time, you may want to practice reading a chapter per day for one month on an annual basis. There is a whole lot of practical wisdom waiting to be digested between those pages that is very applicable for the 21st century.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:

 *  Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage a Friend…Share Today’s Message!

Copyright 2013-2020 Abbaco LLC | All Rights Reserved

What Good Does God Expect From You?

Dr. Mike Bible Life Questions , ,
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 ESV.

expect 1

The Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ time lived by a code of some 613 statutes which they believed God expected them to perform. Like most religious people throughout history, they believed more was better than less.

In the book of Micah, the question was asked and answered. What good does God expect from us in our daily walk? The answer wasn’t 600 plus but threefold: do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.

Imagine if our culture today simply lived by these three principles.

What if instead of closing our eyes to the infirmities around us, we exposed them and corrected them? Not through violence, but with kindness and humility.

What if instead of belittling others through social media who don’t live up to our standard of excellence, we humbly in love point them toward a better solution.

What if instead of jumping to a conclusion before one hears both sides of the story, we judicially gather all the facts first before speaking about it from a platform of love.

What if instead of boasting about the self, we humbly acknowledge our existence is dependent on a God who allows us to breathe air, play in His sandbox (earth), and share His gifts with others.

What if instead of supporting the status quo of those who claim to be rich, famous, or powerful, we express the rights of the downtrodden, homeless, and immigrant.

What if instead of being angry with the customer service representative who is there to help resolve your problem, we practice a little kindness.

What if instead of treating others from our standard of righteousness, we allow God to discipline and reward justice as He knows what is best.

What if instead of being the macho man of the house, we treat our family the way God treats us – with love, mercy, and a whole lot of grace.

In other words, let’s do good with less us and more Him.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Does a Friend Need Encouragement…Share Today’s Message!