Seek a Wise and Discerning Heart for the Times
He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. (Proverbs 17:15)
It is not good to be partial to the wicked or to deprive the righteous of justice. (Proverbs 18:5)
If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. (Proverbs 18:13)
Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord. Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord, and false scales are not good. (Proverbs 20:10, 23)
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:13-18)
I believe these verses from my Bible plan this week stood out to me for a reason—especially given the times we’re in. There is so much going on, and many people and families are hurting. May we be faithful to pray for God Himself to draw near to them, and to seek whether there are ways He is calling us to act—always with the desire to glorify Him.
Yet the moment we open social media or turn on the news, we are immediately flooded with opinions—so many truths, half-truths, and distortions of truth—that we must be discerning and test everything. I believe it would be wise for those of us who know the Lord to seek His wisdom and to examine not only what we read and hear, but also our own hearts and opinions, measuring them against His Word before we speak or attempt to teach.
Are we being balanced, or are we being hypocritical? What measure are we using—our own standard, or the Lord’s? Are we eisegeting God’s Word, reading what we want into the text, or exegeting it, allowing the text to speak what God intended? Are we asking the Holy Spirit—our greatest Teacher—to guide us?
And let’s take this beyond what’s happening right now. Is the Lord’s measure the one we use in all areas of life? We can all, at times (depending on the topic), dull ourselves to the truth in an effort to understand one another, or excuse very clear commands from the Lord in the name of love or standing in solidarity—something I believe we must guard against. We often try to separate truth and love, but we are called to speak the truth in love. They must go hand in hand. That is where true, God-centered unity is found.
So, pray with me.
Lord, help us. Because You are not partial, we desire not to be either—yet we know we fall short. More often than we’d like, we don’t inquire of You. We twist Your Word, read into it what we want, take some wisdom while leaving other parts behind, treat some commands as optional, and reject others altogether. Purify us, Lord, so that at every turn we would seek You first. Help us to test everything using Your measure—Your scale. Teach us to be holy as You are holy, compassionate as You are compassionate, righteous as You are righteous, gracious as You are gracious, and loving as You define love. May we not be a people who pick and choose which parts of You we want while leaving behind the parts we don’t. You are all of these things, and more, perfectly. And while we will not be perfect on this side of eternity, we do desire renewed minds and transformed thinking that shape how we love You—and therefore how we love our neighbor. All of them. Not just the ones we deem worthy at this time. Help us to call what is wicked, wicked, and in the same breath, to call righteous what is righteous. Help us to seek justice—Your justice—while remembering that vengeance belongs to You alone, never taking it into our own hands. Help us not to give answers until we have examined and truly heard what is true—not just one side of it or parts of it. Help us, those who desire to teach one another, to be wise in Your eyes, with the wisdom that comes from above. May this wisdom impact not only what we say, but how we live. And lastly, help us to entrust ourselves to You, the Overseer of our souls, and to follow the example of Christ through the power of the Spirit.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
