DAY FOUR |
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GOD IS JUST
“The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.”
Deuteronomy 32:4
Additional Reading: Genesis 18:25; Romans 3:26; Revelation 15:3
The mimic octopus, first discovered off the coast of Indonesia in 1998, is a master of disguise. This tricky sea creature can change its shape, color, and movements to impersonate up to fifteen different predators. In today’s devotional, we start looking at God’s attributes of goodness. These are His attributes that we, as His people, are called to imitate. But unlike the mimic octopus, whose mimicry is only skin deep, our imitation must begin in the heart. Our awesome God is righteous, meaning He is right in all He does and
is the very standard of what is considered right and good. As a good God, He holds us to these same standards, punishing evil and rewarding good. When you think of God’s justice, you may only think of His punishment toward the wicked, such as the destruction of Sodom in Genesis 19. But we should also think of God’s defense of the widow and the orphan. Because He is just, He takes up the cause of the righteous and is the defender of the one treated unjustly. He is a good judge, fair
in all His dealings, the defender of the defenseless, and the rewarder of the righteous.
Trusting in God’s justice can be challenging in a world full of injustice. If God is just, why do evil men prosper? Why do the righteous suffer? Why does injustice seem to prevail? But when these questions plague us, we can look to Jesus. He is the perfectly righteous one who suffered unjustly that we may be justified, or made righteous, in God’s sight. In the here and now, justice will often be incomplete. But that will not always be the case. When Jesus returns and brings the fullness of His kingdom, every wrong will be made right. Until then, we’re called to stand for what is right, be fair in all our dealings, and defend those in our communities who suffer unjustly. Write down your thoughts on today’s devotional. Pray that God will continue to speak as you reflect. Why is it necessary for a good God to be just? How does this attribute of God help you understand what Jesus did for you on the cross? What does it look like for you to be just in all your relationships?
BECAUSE GOD IS JUST,
HE EXPECTS US TO BE JUST IN ALL OUR RELATIONSHIPS.
NOTES
REFLECT
PRAY
“The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.”
Deuteronomy 32:4
Jesus, You are the only just and wise King. I look to Your ways to understand righteousness and goodness. Even though we are broken people living in a broken world, You are able to bring justice where there is injustice. You have called me to be Your hands and feet, to speak truth, to defend the defenseless, and to stand for what is right. Lord, open my eyes to those who need Your healing. Guide my ways so that I would be Your mouthpiece for justice in this world. In Your name I pray, amen.
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“Siya ang Bato na kanlungan; matuwid ang lahat ng gawa niya at mapagkakatiwalaan ang lahat ng kanyang mga pamamaraan. Matapat siyang Diyos at hindi nagkakasala; makatarungan siya at maaasahan.”
Deuteronomio 32:4 ASND
Basahin Din: Genesis 18:25; Mga Taga-Roma 3:26; Pahayag 15:3
Ang mimic octopus na unang nakita sa baybayin ng Indonesia noong 1998, ay mahusay sa panggagaya. Ang kakaibang nilalang na pandagat na ito ay nagagawang magbago ng hugis, kulay, at galaw upang magaya ang halos labinlimang iba pang mga nilalang na pandagat. Sa debosyonal ngayong araw na ito, sisimulan nating tingnan ang mga katangian ng Diyos na nagpapakita ng Kanyang kabutihan. Ito ang mga katangian na nais Niyang tularan natin bilang Kanyang mga mamamayan. Ngunit ang kaibahan sa mimic octopus na gumagaya lamang sa panlabas na anyo, dapat ay nagsisimula sa puso ang pagtulad natin sa Kanya. Ang ating kahanga-hangang Diyos ay matuwid, at nangangahulugan
ito na pinangangalagaan Niya, at Siya mismo ang batayan ng anumang tama at mabuti. Bilang isang mabuting Diyos, nais Niya na ito rin ang ating maging batayan kung kaya’t pinarurusahan Niya ang kasamaan at ginagantimpalaan ang kabutihan. Kapag iniisip mo ang katarungan ng Diyos, maaaring ang iniisip mo lamang ay ang Kanyang pagpaparusa sa kasamaan, gaya ng pagkasira ng Sodom sa Genesis 19. Subalit makikita din natin na ang pagtatanggol ng Diyos sa mga biyuda at sa mga ulila.
Dahil Siya ay makatarungan, ipinaglalaban Niya ang mga matuwid at ipinagtatanggol ang mga hindi nakatatanggap ng katarungan. Siya ay isang mabuting hukom, pantay-pantay sa lahat ng Kanyang ginagawa, tagapagtanggol ng mga walang kalaban-laban, at tagapagbigay ng gantimpala sa mga matuwid.
Ang pagtitiwala sa hustisya ng Diyos ay mahirap gawin sa mundong puno ng kawalan ng katarungan. Kung makatarungan ang Diyos, bakit umuunlad ang buhay ng mga masasamang tao? Bakit naghihirap ang mga matuwid? Bakit tila nagwawagi ang kawalan ng katarungan? Subalit sa tuwing napupuno ang ating isipan ng mga katanungang ito, maaari tayong tumingin kay Jesus. Siya ay matuwid at walang kapintasan at nagdusa sa kawalan ng katarungan upang tayo ay mapawalang sala at maging matuwid sa paningin ng Diyos.
Sa kasalukuyan, ang hustisya ay kadalasang hindi ganap. Gayunpaman, hindi laging ganito ang sitwasyon. Sa pagbabalik ni Jesus at pagtatatag Niya ng Kanyang kaharian, ang lahat ng kamalian ay maitatama. Hangga’t hindi pa ito nangyayari, tayo ay tinawag upang manindigan sa kung anuman ang tama, maging patas sa ating mga ginagawa, at maipagtanggol ang mga dumaranas nang kawalan ng hustisya sa ating mga komunidad. Isulat ang mga naisip mo tungkol sa debosyonal ngayong araw. Ipanalangin na patuloy na mangusap sa iyo ang Diyos habang lalo mong pinag-iisipan ang mga ito. Bakit kinakailangan para sa isang mabuting Diyos ang maging makatarungan? Paano ka natutulungan ng katangiang ito ng Diyos upang maintindihan ang ginawa ni Jesus sa krus para sa iyo? Paano nakikita ang pagiging makatarungan sa iyong mga ugnayan sa ibang tao?
DAHIL ANG DIYOS AY MAKATARUNGAN, INAASAHAN NIYA TAYONG
MAGING MAKATARUNGAN SA LAHAT NG ATING MGA RELASYON.
MGA NATUTUNAN
PAG-ISIPAN
MANALANGIN
“Siya ang Bato na kanlungan; matuwid ang lahat ng gawa niya at mapagkakatiwalaan ang lahat ng kanyang mga pamamaraan. Matapat siyang Diyos at hindi nagkakasala; makatarungan siya at maaasahan.”
Deuteronomio 32:4 ASNDJesus, Ikaw lamang ang Hari na makatarungan at may karunungan. Tumitingin ako sa Iyong pamamaraan upang maunawaan ang Iyong katuwiran at kabutihan. Kahit na kami ay mga taong puno ng pagkakamali na naninirahan sa isang mundong nawasak, magagawa Mong magpatupad ng katarungan sa mga pagkakataong walang katarungan. Tinawag Mo ako upang maging mga kamay at paa Mo, sabihin ang katotohanan, ipagtanggol ang mga hindi kayang ipagtanggol ang kanilang sarili, at manindigan sa kung ano ang tama. Panginoon, imulat Mo po ang aking mga mata upang makita ang mga nangangailangan ng Iyong kagalingan. Gabayan Mo po ako upang ako ang maging tagapagsalita Mo para sa katarungan sa mundong ito. Ito ang panalangin ko sa Iyong pangalan, amen.
GOD IS FAIR AND JUST
He is the Rock. His works are perfect. All his ways are right. He is faithful. He doesn’t do anything wrong. He is honest and fair.
Deuteronomy 32:4 NIRV
Imagine you have an exam coming up. You studied hard the whole week, and you know that one of your classmates wasn’t studying at all. During the exam, you saw your classmate cheating. Unfair, isn’t it? You studied hard to finish this test without cheating. And then when the results came out, you found out that you scored 85 out of 100 and your classmate, who cheated, got the highest score, 97 out of 100. How would you feel? Wouldn’t you be angry because it was unfair?
The next day, the teacher called the attention of your classmate. Someone had seen and reported what happened, and it had been caught on camera. Now how would you feel? This is what justice is—everyone’s actions are fully known, and each action gets its proper consequence.
But what about the people who don’t seem to be getting fair treatment? There may be a lot of questions in our head like, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” “Why are there people who are born poor?” “Why are there people who get away with crime?” Right now, life may seem so unfair. But God is just and is always working. We just have to trust him.
God is fully good, just, and fair. What does this mean? God knows all everyone ever did; He defends the weak and rewards the righteous, and He does this even if we can’t see it right now.
You and I are not perfect. We have also sinned and done wrong to others. But remember Jesus? God had sent His Son Jesus to the earth to die for everyone’s sins. He was perfectly righteous and did nothing wrong, but He suffered unjustly so that we may be “justified.” Being “justified” means we look righteous to God, meaning we look acceptable and innocent as if we have also done nothing wrong. Because of what Jesus did, we can be blameless if we welcome Him to our life as our Lord.
This also means that because Jesus is just and good, we who follow Him are called to stand for what is right, be fair to others, and defend people we know who aren’t strong enough to defend themselves.
BECAUSE GOD IS JUST AND FAIR TO ME, EVEN GIVING ME MORE THAN I DESERVE, I CAN BE JUST AND FAIR TO OTHERS.
REFLECT
What are some times that you feel you were being treated unfairly? Pray about this and give these moments to God. Pray to forgive those who treated you unfairly.
We are called to be God’s hands and feet to those in need. These could be people who are bullied, defenseless, poor, orphaned, or widowed. List some things you can do for those who are in need.
(Examples: Share a meal with a sad sibling, write an encouraging note to a classmate.)
PRAY
Dear God, thank You for being just and, at the same time, loving. Because You love us so much, you made a way for us to be righteous, even if we can never be perfect. As I continue to know You in a deeper way, help me to also start caring about others. Help me be Your hands and feet so Your love can be felt in this world full of injustice. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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