“Some time later many of the people, both men and women, began to complain against the other Jews. Some said, “We have large families, we need grain to keep us alive.” Others said, “We have had to mortgage our fields and vineyards and houses to get enough grain to keep us from starving.” Still others said, “We had to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards. We are of the same race as the other Jews. Aren’t our children just as good as theirs? But we have to make slaves of our children. Some of our daughters have already been sold as slaves. We are helpless because our fields and vineyards have been taken away from us.” When I heard their complaints, I grew angry and decided to act. I denounced the leaders and officials of the people and told them, “You are oppressing your own relatives!” I called a public assembly to deal with the problem and said, “As far as we have been able, we have been buying back our Jewish relatives who had to sell themselves to foreigners. Now you are forcing your own relatives to sell themselves to you, their own people!” The leaders were silent and could find nothing to say. Then I said, “What you are doing is wrong! You ought to obey God and do what’s right.” (Nehemiah 5:1-9a Good News Translation) Version)
This is your Monday Short meditation. Please read both the scriptural passages; the one above and the one below. If you are not familiar with these accounts, take some time later and read them in context of the circumstances involved. To be true to the “Short” part of this Monday meditation, know that I am hoping that after reading today’s word, you will come to the conclusion that the voice that brings about a change that saves you from doing wrong in the sight of God may come from an external source or from the voice within your heart; an internal source. As a Christian I am sure the Holy Spirit within you will be an added voice that will bring what you have previously learned in your study of the word of God. So, while God’s word that is presented to you above and below may seem long to you, what I have to say is summarized in these few words, “Listen to the voice, and right that which you are doing that is wrong in the sight of God. Do what is right! Have a great, righteous living week. Be blessed!
Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!” Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So, they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also. Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news, and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.” So, they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them. (2 King 7:1-10 Good News Translation)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King
We do not have any excuse for not knowing right from wrong. God’s word is a lamp unto our feet a light unto our path. Do the right thing. This admonishment is taken seriously…I will respond to God’s word and change any wrong that I am aware of and make it right. It’s what God wants from me.
What I like about your response is that it typifies what you do. You take in the word, walk in the light it provides, and strive continually for right. Be blessed!