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The ABCs of God's Love Letter: Justice

10/13/2020

14 Comments

 
The ABCs of God's Love Letter: Justice

Welcome to
​The ABCs of God's Love Letter
25 Weeks. 25 Writers!

We will use the alphabet as an acrostic and study topics like: Abide, Beloved, Calling, Delight, Endure, Faithful, Garment, Hunger, Increase, Justice, Kindness, Light, Manna, Name, Ordain, Path, Quench, Ransom, Salt, Testify, Upright, Vanity, Wait, Yield, and Zeal.

Every week, we’ll discover a different topic. Each topic is accompanied by five Scripture verses—one for each weekday. The Bible study has a page for each verse. Those spaces will invite you to write the verses out and journal what you’ve learned.

Every time I read God’s Word I learn something new. I also find that Scripture writing really helps me meditate, and as I meditate, God always shows me just what I need for that day—it’s AMAZING!
I pray you’ll join us and learn new and exciting things too from His Word.
The ABCs of God's Love Letter Bible study
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​This Week We're Looking at Justice

Justice. In the last few months, we have heard that word thrown around social media, news outlets, and even during conversations with friends or family. There are a lot of opinions out there, but only one opinion that matters. God’s. What does God have to say about justice?
"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8
To do justice is a commandment. It is a requirement, but it must be tempered with kindness and humility. Justice without either is not justice at all because it is devoid of what is good—kindness and humility. As you ponder and meditate on God’s justice, keep kindness and humility close to your heart.
"Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute." Psalm 82:3
Our justice should always be directed towards the weak, the fatherless, the afflicted, and the destitute. Who are they? Do we get to define what it means to be weak or afflicted?
 
Think of a time in your life when everything appeared to be okay on the outside, but on the inside, you felt weak. You were being afflicted in ways others could not understand. Did a beautiful soul sit by your side and listen to your pain?
 
To know who is weak and afflicted, to know who is fatherless and destitute, we must sit and listen. Some are obvious, like orphans we see in the foster care system, but some are not. It could be a neighbor, a person at our church, or a group of people living in our own community.
 
We cannot stand on the outside and make judgments of a people, or a race, or even a neighbor or a fellow church-goer without first listening and being willing to sit in their pain. We must not follow the ways of the Pharisees! We must follow Jesus. He understood our pain and our affliction because He stood in our midst. We must do the same and find ourselves among the afflicted. Not on the outside looking in.
"To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." Proverbs 21:3
Justice requires us to do. Sacrifices had become religious rituals and traditions for Israel, but they were not taking care of the most vulnerable in society. He will despise our religious traditions, rituals, and habits like He did Israel’s if we are missing two important pieces—justice and righteousness.
 
What good is it that we go to church on Christmas Eve and preach from the sidelines, but refuse to get our hands dirty by taking care of the most vulnerable?
 
We must do. For example, we must be the voice of the voiceless, we must pay fair wages, and we must visit those in prison. We are called to always do what is just and right. God will define our path for justice if we are willing to involve ourselves in the messy lives of others.
"But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Amos 5:24
God desires for justice to abound, to roll down like the waters. He desires for His church to lead the way. By ourselves, we cannot solve all the injustices in the world. However, if the sum of God’s people did what was righteous and just, political answers would rarely be necessary because we, the church, would be in the midst of those crying out for justice.
"The LORD within her is righteous; He does no injustice; every morning He shows forth His justice; each dawn He does not fail, but the unjust knows no shame." Zephaniah 3:5
Thankfully, God never withholds justice. He takes care of His creation knowing that we are most vulnerable. We cannot live or survive without the warmth of the sun. But every morning, God is just and provides this world what it needs to keep on spinning and preserve humanity. Every day He shows us His love so every day we must show our love to those that need it the most.
Luisa

Picture
​Luisa Rodriguez is the creator of Fruitfully Living, a website that helps equip young girls and women better understand the Bible. Her passion is to reach marginalized women through her two gifts, writing and art. She is the author and illustrator of two books. "A Royal Mission" is a children’s book that helps girls see their God-given purpose and "Preparing Our Daughters for Puberty" is a mother-daughter Bible study.
 
She is a wife to a retired Marine and a mother of two warrior-princesses. They live in beautiful St. Charles, IL..
​FOLLOW HER HERE
​WEB | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | PINTEREST

A Royal Mission

​SELF IDENTITY ROOTED IN CHRIST: It is important that girls grow to have a strong sense of identity and purpose rooted in Christ. “A Royal Mission” was created with that purpose in mind. Through striking illustrations and a captivating plot, girls learn about their God-given purpose, how much they are loved, and what it means to serve the King.

​PERSONALIZATION: In this children’s book, the reader has the chance to become part of the story. She is asked to insert her name into the pages of the book, making her the protagonist.

​​​THE PLOT: Her journey begins in a perfect kingdom as a beautiful princess, but she is soon interrupted by a messenger from the King's court who tells her the King wishes to see her.

Upon arriving at the palace, the King tasks her with an important mission to a lost world and explains the difficulties she will encounter. The story then weaves through images of her life in the lost world, the details of her mission, and the circumstances of her return to paradise. It is only at the end that girls learn that this loving, powerful King is Jesus. 

​A "FAIRYTALE" ROOTED IN THE GOSPEL: Little girls dream of kings, queens, and princesses in faraway lands and this book uses that to help girls understand who Jesus is. "A Royal Mission" therefore, portrays Jesus as a regal and powerful King reminiscent of modern-day fairytales, but with the gospel message at its core. 
A Royal Mission
It is a book that captures little girls’ hearts and helps them see Jesus for who He is, the King of kings. This allegorical story will help budding princesses understand their role and purpose in God’s overarching plan. It is beloved by children and parents alike. It is also an ideal book to introduce girls to Jesus for the first time. 

​CULTURAL DIVERSITY: As a Hispanic woman, the author was intentional in illustrating characters that would reflect people of various racial backgrounds. Her desire is that girls, regardless of their background, could see themselves in the story and know how truly special they are to the King.

​ENGAGEMENT: The book also includes discussion questions at the end to help girls make the connection between this story and the Biblical record.

​The ABCs of God's Love Letter Scripture Memory Cards

The ABCs of God's Love Letter Bible Study is accompanied by a collection of 25 5 X 5 Scripture Memory Cards. We'll utilize this great tool to help us memorize a Scripture verse once a week that goes with the topic we're studying that week. Hiding God's Word in our heart is so important!
The ABCs of God's Love Letter Scripture Memory Cards
These square press prints are printed on thick, high-quality, matte art paper and include a small white border. They are available here in our Etsy shop. But WAIT, there's more! Just for you —> ​Use code SAVE50 at checkout for 50% OFF your entire order. FREE SHIPPING on orders $35 or more, otherwise, shipping is just $2.00, as always! ​
CHECK OUT THESE SCRIPTURE MEMORY CARDS

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​What does Justice mean to you?
Please Share
14 Comments
Michele Morin link
10/13/2020 09:15:37 am

We are so God-dependent for living out the justice our hearts long to see in this world. May we choose righteousness so that justice can flow!

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
10/16/2020 10:06:06 pm

Well said, Michele! We need to choose righteousness over and over again!

Reply
Jed link
10/13/2020 09:16:36 am

Great book review. Thank you for this! As a daddy to five girls, I'm always on the lookout for new children's books.

And thank you for hosting too!

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
10/16/2020 10:07:19 pm

This is a great book for little girls, Jed. I love the message and the artwork!

Reply
Barbara Harper link
10/13/2020 09:17:59 am

My first several years in church, what they called "social justice" was dismissed as being "social gospel"--meeting people's material needs but neglecting their spiritual ones. I don't know how they missed that they could do both. God calls for justice all through the Bible, yet so many have been denied it. I'm sorry for the events of this year but thankful that attention has been drawn to this need.

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
10/16/2020 10:08:49 pm

We for sure need to do both, Barbara. So many churches miss that—either one way, or the other. Follow Jesus' example!

Reply
Laurie Hess link
10/13/2020 12:24:55 pm

Beautiful thoughts on justice, Luisa. I especially loved this: "We cannot stand on the outside and make judgments of a people, or a race, or even a neighbor or a fellow church-goer without first listening and being willing to sit in their pain." So true. God does require us to get our hands dirty. To seek justice as a matter of empathy, not sympathy.

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
10/16/2020 10:11:31 pm

That's such a great quote, Laurie! I love this too —> "God does require us to get our hands dirty. To seek justice as a matter of empathy, not sympathy." Too many Christians don't want to get their hands dirty.

Reply
Homer Les link
10/13/2020 09:23:45 pm

To do justice but LOVE mercy. Too often we reverse them and end up loving justice and only 'doing' mercy. May we have the Father's heart and love mercy as He does.

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
10/16/2020 10:12:49 pm

YES, Homer. LOVE mercy! "Too often we reverse them and end up loving justice and only 'doing' mercy" <— So true!

Reply
Lauren Renee Sparks link
10/14/2020 05:56:49 pm

God is teaching me so much about His heart for justice this year. Thank you for lending your voice.

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
10/16/2020 10:14:02 pm

2020 is a year in which when we see less and less justice, but need it more and more.

Reply
Janis Van Keuren link
10/16/2020 08:51:30 pm

Micah 6:8 sums up God's desire for our actions and the attitude of our hearts. The vulnerable, the weak can be right in your own church congregation. Get to know those in your community and their needs and give of yourself with a humble heart.
Thank you, Luisa for your personal insights and sharing your books with us. The girls' book is especially intriguing.

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
10/16/2020 10:21:48 pm

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Do justice
Love kindness (BTW that's next week's word)
Walk humbly

That pretty much sums it up!

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