The Bible tells the story of how God made the universe, and how humans rebelled from their calling to take care of the world. The rest of the Bible focuses on how God sets about putting this to rights, and finishes with glimpses of how the story ends. This week, inspired by Rivers of Justice,* we reflect on how we can answer the call in Micah 6:8 to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.
Sunday 2 June
In the Old Testament (Psalm 146)
In the Old Testament, we see God calls people to live in a way that brings others to him. And that God has justice at the heart. Pray and ask, what are some things that God has done for you that he’s asking you to do for others?
Monday 3 June
In Jesus (Matthew 25:31 – 46)
Jesus has triumphed over the evil that thwarts God’s purposes – we see only glimpses of God’s purposes now; we won’t see them completely until Jesus returns. Until then, we’re called to live in anticipation of that future in how we live today. Ask God to help you live in that hope.
Tuesday 4 June
In the early church (Acts 2:42 – 47)
Jesus is carrying on what he started when on earth, continuing that work through his followers, the church, equipped by the ministry of his Holy Spirit. Lift up local churches in your community and ask God to inspire them to live justly like the early church.
Wednesday 5 June
Caring for God’s earth (Colossians 1:15 – 20)
Fundamentally, ‘the environment’, and how we treat it, matters deeply to God. There is an inextricable relationship between God, his world and his people throughout the scriptures. Pray for churches and Christian organisations worldwide calling for action to prevent abuse of God’s creation.
Thursday 6 June
Racial justice – made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26)
Racial and ethnic injustice is a result of the fall, when humans disobeyed God and created a world of brokenness. One of the manifestations of this is the misbelief that some ethnic groups are superior to others. Ask God to help you speak up for groups who are persecuted.
Friday 7 June
Money – it makes the world go round (Matthew 6:24)
Jesus was clear that we cannot serve both God and money, and taught strongly about its dangers. More positively, Jesus explains why we shouldn’t be preoccupied with money: we should seek God’s kingdom first. Ask God to help you see his perspective on wealth.
Saturday 8 June
Learning the art of contentment (Matthew 6:19 – 21)
There are many pressures telling us how to live. One of the most dominant is hyper-consumerism. Matthew 6 speaks directly to this, asking us what we put our security in, God’s provision or our possessions? Let this passage challenge you today.
*Rivers of Justice (Cover to Cover), by Ruth Valerio, explores the themes here in much greater depth. It’s by Waverley Abbey Publishing and is available here.
