Lead Me in Your Justice Lord July 4

Let us pray: Jesus, be the calming influence on my life. When my sins upset you, help me to turn to you. Lead me away from the sins that grow from my ego and pride. Grant me independence from these and all sin today and everyday so that I may serve you. Amen.

Study http://www.usccb.org/nab/070406.shtml

Lead me in your justice, Lord. Psalm 5:9

Amos calls the people back to high moral and religious demands – a different standard than the civil government. For their wandering, Amos rebukes Israel. However, the prophet also knew that divine punishment is never completely destructive; it is part of the hidden plan of God to bring salvation to men.

As such, Amos reveals the reasons for God’s frustration with us. The first reason is our sinfulness. The second reason is that we have resorted to such behavior even after we have been granted such abundance by God. So, Amos warns us to “prepare to meet your God.”

When we meet that God in the person of Jesus Christ, the carpenter from Nazareth, it is not what Amos might have envisioned. We get no lion roaring in the forest, just a miracle worker among the people. The Lamb of God sleeps with the lion.

Take for example the day described by Matthew before the miracle on the lake. It was a busy day for the Lord. He made the leper clean, cured the Roman centurion’s servant, healed Peter’s mother. Yet after all that the disciples had witnessed, Jesus knew that he needed to continue to strengthen their faith.

So they got in a boat together and faced the elements and Jesus calmed the sea for the first time. Jesus rebuked the sea and the waves and there was great calm.

Despite the sins of the world we encounter in Amos and in our lives, and despite the limits of our human faith that we recognize in Matthew, the Psalmist reveals to us how we are saved by our great sea-calming, wind-stopping God-man, Jesus.

But I can enter your house because of your great love. I can worship in your holy temple because of my reverence for you, LORD. Guide me in your justice because of my foes; make straight your way before me. Psalm 5:8-9

Action

Today is the high holy day of American civil religion – July 4. The readings today and over the past week give us many signs why we should not be afraid when we trust in the Lord. The world situation – when isolated from our faith – certainly instills and spreads fear. Look no further than the highway signs calling on us to report suspicious activity to terror alert lines and the yellow threat level reported daily in our news media. However, our faith commands us to fear not and trust in the Lord.

Perhaps you can spend a few minutes on this Independence Day reflecting on these questions and planning your actions for the coming week:

What has the Lord given to you?

What does the Lord expect from your in faith and action and thanksgiving for His great love?

How will you act on this in over the next seven days?