True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and
to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her
debt. Always remember that you
were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God
redeemed you from your slavery. That is
why I have given you this command. Deuteronomy 24:17-18(NLT)
Always remembering where you
come from is, if nothing else, a doorway into reflection on the kindnesses people
have shared with you. And reflecting on
how others have helped you along your life’s pathway is (at the very least) something
that helps keep you from losing your way in selfishness.
Elizabeth and I had one of
those moments which always cause me to focus on the kindness wherewith I have
been blessed, and the way those kindnesses are supposed to impact the lives of
people I meet and with whom I have an opportunity to be a blessing.
We had just visited the “high
class” grocery store; Elizabeth likes the service at this store, as well as the
products she can’t get at our regular (discount) market. I like the fact that seniors get 10% off on
Thursdays, and there are free samples at the deli department! On this particular day we left the store carrying
several bags of groceries and our $3 lattes and $2 pastries to eat in the
car. As I bit into the delightful treat
there was a knock on my window.
When I saw the look in her
eyes – a look I’d seen ten thousand times before – I choked a little on my coffee. I was about to hear a sad story of a mother
or uncle who was having surgery three states over, and how there wasn’t enough
gas to get there. Or maybe it would be
the infamous need for a child’s operation.
Or a neighbor had locked her out and she needed money for the bus so she
could call her brother who owned a trailer, and he would come get her child out
of jail……….it was going to be some version of the truth. Or not.
I just wanted to eat my
pastry and drink my dark roast in peace.
Then the other side of the
car spoke – here, I’ve got $10.
Ten bucks? Obviously my bride is lacking the basic “handling”
skills of a seasoned streetwise pastor…you don’t give them that much; $3.00 and on
your way, sister!
The other side of the car spoke
again: Do you have any cash? That was all I had.
Busted!
It’s hard to be Scrooge when
the other side of the car holds a generous heart. Well, not Scrooge, really – just too focused
on the sweet treat I’d been thinking about all day. But, whether Scrooge or selfishness, there
was little human kindness in my actions.
I did manage to peel off a $5 bill (keeping twice that much for myself….after
all, my wife had given away the store).
But the problem: my heart
never came near my giving hand; $15 was just the cost of getting back to my
coffee and pastry.
The face behind the story was
never given a name.
And that’s the whole point today. Even God, who loves us with an everlasting
and unbreakable love, gets tired of our acts of “worship” that are simply going
through the motions, and never touch the heart.
Here’s what God told Micah to say to people like that:
What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt
offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves?
Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?
Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves?
Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?
No, O people, the Lord has
told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:6-8(NLT)
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:6-8(NLT)
For You Today
What will you do with the opportunity God will provide
today to be faithful? Faith which truly
worships the one true living God is measured in our actions.
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