As I sit here at my dining table this morning the sun is coming up a fiery ball of intense red-orange … due to the smoke which still hangs heavy in our air. People are beginning to have health issues. I’ve been struggling this week with lots of brain fog and lethargy.
The smoke in the air affects us all.
Just like the wildfire smoke hanging heavy in the air, the society in which we live has sinful brokenness “hanging heavy in the air.” Society, on the whole, does not maintain justice or do what is right … and as a result, it affects us all. Everyone is impacted. Just like the wildfire smoke impacting our air quality.
God tells us:
“This is what the LORD says: ‘Maintain justice and do what is right … Blessed is the person who does this, the person who holds it fast … and keeps their hand from doing any evil.’” – Isaiah 56:1-2
When we maintain justice and do what is right it’s sort-of like an “air purification system” in our own little corner of the world where God has placed us.
Is it easy to maintain justice and do what is right?
No! Not at all!
The flaming attacks will come.
The flaming words will come.
Meanwhile, everyone around us (in the little corner of the world where God has placed us) will be breathing a “breath of fresh air” that justice is actually being maintained … that someone is speaking the truth and saying the things which have needed to be said! It’s a breath of “fresh air” for everyone! It’s a “breath of life.” It’s a “breath of hope.”
The “breath of fresh air” clears the “brain fog” of confusion so that those around us can maintain justice and do what is right.
The “breath of fresh air” clears away the “lethargy” so that those around us can do what is right.
And as a result … everyone is blessed.
It is a blessing to have truth spoken … in a situation where lies and bullying and political drama have been “smoking everything in.”
It is a blessing to have honesty boldly stated … thereby empowering others to speak honestly as well.
The one who takes the bold stand for “maintaining justice” is blessed by being empowered with God’s strength to be able to stand boldly in the face of very public verbal attack!
The one who takes a bold stand to speak honestly and “do what is right” is blessed by being empowered with God’s wisdom to have the words to say in highly charged tension situations.
The one who takes a bold stand to “maintain justice” and “do what is right” is blessed by being empowered with courage from God.
The one who takes a bold stand to “maintain justice” and “do what is right” is blessed by being covered with God’s peace.
The one who takes a bold stand to “maintain justice” and “do what is right” is blessed by being protected by God. God himself fights on their behalf.
Will the “air automatically clear” and the “smoke” immediately go away when we maintain justice and do what is right?
No.
The “smoke” will still be an issue … for we live in a broken, fallen, sinful world.
We will still have to face a “fiery ball of intense red-orange” each day as we interact with people who do not know God … do not obey God … do not maintain justice … and do not do what is right.
But when God’s people maintain justice and do what is right it brings “pure fresh air” to the little corner of the world where God has placed each of us.
God blesses those who maintain justice and do what is right.
“This is what the LORD says: ‘Maintain justice and do what is right … Blessed is the person who does this, the person who holds it fast … and keeps their hand from doing any evil.’” – Isaiah 56:1-2
(Maintaining justice and doing what is right is “an uphill climb” all the way! But the blessing of the reward at the end is worth it all!)
