Today's Reading:O.T. - Zechariah 7 - 9
N.T. - James 1:19-27; 2:14-18
Focus Verses: Zechariah 7:4-8
4 Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me: 5 "Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?' "8 And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: 9 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.' "
Insight:
We humans have an incredible capacity for self-contradiction. We can praise God with our mouths one minute and in the next breath deride our neighbor. We can look to God for grace and forgiveness, and yet withhold them from someone who needs us to be merciful. We can fast and think ourselves to be very spiritual, and fail to see the spiritual failure of ignoring those who are hungry and poor.
True religion and spirituality are more than ritual; they are to be lived out by administering justice, showing compassion, sharing with those in need, and thinking of others with good will.
Response and Action:
God is honored in my life through actions more than in my words and ritual. Spiritual exercises like fasting are not an end in themselves, but are rather a means toward becoming a person who extends mercy, meets needs, and treats others with righteousness. I need to be sure that the acts of worship and religion I offer to God are proven to be real through tangible acts of compassion and justice.
O God, may my praise and worship be more than empty religion. Help me to truly love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. By the power and grace of your Holy Spirit, make me a person who honors you in loving action and righteous deeds. Give me a heart of compassion toward others, and make me ready to do good works that bless them. Amen.
Proverbs: 29:7
"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern."
Resources:
Living the Story: Biblical Spirituality for Everyday Christians
by R., Paul Stevens and Michael, Green
