Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 45; Ezekiel 46; Luke 1
Scripture: Ezekiel 45:9-12
9 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: You have gone far enough, O princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing my people, declares the Sovereign LORD. 10 You are to use accurate scales, an accurate ephah and an accurate bath. 11 The ephah and the bath are to be the same size, the bath containing a tenth of a homer and the ephah a tenth of a homer; the homer is to be the standard measure for both. 12 The shekel is to consist of twenty gerahs. Twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels equal one mina.' "
Observation: God speaks through Ezekiel to the "princes of Israel," that is, those who have the wealth and power at the highest levels. And in this passage He warns them to use weights and measures that are honest and fair. One of the means that can be used to oppress and keep people poor is unfair or dishonest business practices, such as weights and measures that change depending on whether one is buying or selling, exorbitant interest rates, excessive fees and charges, etc. God cares about these matters. He wants His people to not only have righteous standards in their lives, but also in the weights and measures and business practices.
Application: If I want to live in a way that pleases God, it is more than a commitment to study of the Bible and worship . It is a commitment to live in justice and righteousness in every area of my life. I believe that Christians often neglect to consider how their business dealings reflect on their faith. It matters to God that I am totally honest and above board with how I do business with others. Paying my bills, dealing with honesty and integrity in whatever I do, being truthful and not deceptive in my business dealings and communication -- these are all aspects of my life that God cares about. And I need to care about them as well, giving careful thought and effort to uphold the highest standards of integrity and honesty in all business interactions. To do less is to dishonor and displease God.
Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You want Your people to reflect righteousness and excellence in every area of our lives. You want to show Yourself through me as a God of truth and justice. Help me to never compromise or act selfishly or unfairly in the way I do business with others. May I "do unto others as I would have them do unto me" in my business dealings as well as every other area of my life. I want to live in a way that pleases You.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
1 comment:
God does care very much about our integrity in every area of life. Business isn't separate from our spirituality. In fact, our relationship with and love for God should affect how we handle every area of life.
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