Justice and Jesus

Welcome to today's word of encouragement from Our Daily Bread. The devotional for today titled justice and Jesus was written by Mark Don Caesar Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome wanted to be known as a law and order ruler, even though he built his empire on the back of slave labor military conquest and financial bribery. He restored a measure of legal due process and gave his citizens. I used this yet. I got us our justice system today refers to as Lady Justice. He also called for a census that brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the birth of a long-awaited ruler whose greatness would reach to the ends of the earth. What neither Augustus nor the rest of the world could have anticipated is how a far greater king would live and die to show what real justice looks like centuries earlier in the prophet Micah's day the people of God had once again lapsed into a culture of lies, violence, and ill-gotten treasures God's dearly love nation had lost sight of him. He long for them to show their world what it meant to do right by each other and walk humbly with him. It took a servant king to personify the kind of justice that hurting forgotten and helpless people long for. It took the fulfillment of Micah's prophecy in Jesus to see right relationships established between God and people in person-to-person. This would not come in the outward enforcement of Caesar like law and order, but in the freedom of the mercy goodness and spirit of our servant king Jesus today's Our Daily Bread devotional Scripture reading is from Micah chapter 6 verses one through eight. Listen to what the Lord says, stand up, plead my case before the mountains let the hills hear what you have to say here you mountains the Lord's accusation listen you everlasting foundations of the earth, for the Lord has a case against his people. He is lodging a charge against Israel, my people, what have I done to you. How have I burdened you answer me, I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. My people, remember what they like king of Moab plotted and what Baylon son of Baylor answered. Remember your journey from should team to go gal that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord with what shall I come before the Lord, and bow down before the exalted God July come before him with burnt offerings with calves a year old. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams with 10,000 rivers of Olive Oyl, shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression.

The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul.

He has shown you a mortal what is good and what does the Lord require of you to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Now let's pray father in the name of Jesus, would you help us to do right by others and everyone you bring into our life. May our every action reflect your presence in our lives and the love you have for the world. Thank you, Lord.

It's in Jesus name that we pray. Amen. Thanks so much for listening today. My name is Wes Ward and today's word of encouragement has been provided by Our Daily Bread ministries