True Justice

Deuteronomy  24:17-22 NLT

“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. “When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.

Cruise Road is a  real welcoming community! (Cruise Road, Sheffield, England UK S11)

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The movement of people is inevitable. Famine, wars, crime, ethnic tensions and many other factors combine to cause people to move. Economic migrants are a constant story in the news. And refugees and asylum seekers never cease to pour across the worlds borders. Then there is the constant expansion and never satisfied commerce that lures people out into unknown worlds and far reaching places only to go bust and become trapped. The poor, the foreigner, the orphan (of which worldwide there are estimated between 120 and 200 million) and the widow will be on your doorstep. 

God has brought them to you! God wants you to take care of them. How can you turn them away? How can you think they are dirty, untrustworthy, or criminal? How can you protect your own jobs, land, privilege and position? Do you think you blessed yourself? Do you think you have it good because you are clever or hard working and they are lazy and stupid? Do you really think your men died defending your country to buy you the right to mistreat the needy? Do you think you can put yourself first? You have no good thing unless God has given it to you! You would have nothing if it were not for God's grace. And grace by the way isn't making you a favorite because you are better! Grace is a gift! Over and Over God reminds his people they were slaves! Over and over you need to remember your country is a country of poor immigrants. Or worse yet your forefathers came and took by brutal and uncaring force the land you call your own. 

Your life must take into account a caring humble attitude for the needy!

If it does not, God says the foreigner, the orphan and the widow have a case before him against you! Do you really want to pick a fight with God? Do you really disbelieve God? Do you know better than God?

How are you taking care of the poor, the needy, the foreigner, the orphan and the widow? In what practical ways are you helping them?

Deuteronomy calls this true justice and James calls it pure and genuine religion. 

So are you just in your attitudes, pure in your trust of God, and genuine in your humility?

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 27Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27