Deuteronomy 16:18-20 Justice, and Only Justice, You Shall Pursue

Observation: God is leading the ancient Hebrews in setting up a just, fair legal system. It may seem obvious to modern readers, but it has to be written down: the judges you appoint can not take bribes. Justice can not be bought.

Application: If you are an actual judge, I guess the application is pretty clear. No bribes! It's good legal advice as well as moral advice.

But judges are not the only ones in our democratic society whose decisions can affect others. Even as private citizens, how we spend our time, talents and money, has a great effect on other people. What we say can affect others' lives. And there are always going to be those who would like to "bribe" us, whether with positive attention, or influence, or cost savings, or convenience, or a sense of superiority, or a hundred other ways, to make bad decisions. If our entire attitude toward life is, "what's in it for me?" Then we are accepting bribes, whether or not we call it that. Judge or not, we have much more power and influence over others' lives than we think. And the decisions we render can affect their lives in more ways than we can know.

"Justice, and only justice, shall you pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the Lord is giving to you."

Prayer: Open my eyes to the way my decisions affect others. May I act fairly and justly, and not just for personal gain. Amen.