Zechariah 7:9–10: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: / ‘Execute true justice, / Show mercy and compassion / Everyone to his brother. / Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, / The alien or the poor. / Let none of you plan evil in his heart / Against his brother.'”

December 18th, 2021 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Zechariah seemed to be directing this charge particularly to the judges of the people. When they were hearing any matter between 2 parties, they were to be careful to literally “make a judgment of truth.” They were to render decisions according to the law of God, and without showing any preference to any person over another. In short, they were to judge righteously.

But this command easily applies to every believer today since Jesus reminded us of the requirement to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves in the New Testament (Matt. 22:37–39). Certainly God wants us to be compassionate, impartial, considerate, and merciful to anyone in need. As Jesus taught, it is impossible to be right with God and be wrong with people (Matt. 5:23–24). C.S. Lewis made it all very practical when he wrote in his book Mere Christianity:

Do not waste time bothering whether you “love” your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less.

The real challenge comes when it is someone who has hurt us. It is natural to love someone that loves us, but only the Holy Spirit can give us the gift of supernatural (agape) love for those that hate us.

“LORD, please change our hearts more; give us supernatural love today for those who have used us, so we can show them Your love.”