Focus: James 2:13 - KJV
13. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
James 2:1-13
There is a popular adage that indicates that the slave was not born differently from the way the king was born. Indeed, it is not because of the choice the king made that he became kingly neither was it that of the peasant that made him poor: it is time and chance that works for them all. In the minds of some people, when someone appears poor, it must be God that put him down. That cannot be right, because God’s thoughts towards us all are of good and not of evil. And since He is Love, He does judge kindly and therefore would rather show mercy other than judgment for mercy rejoices against judgment. It is in the place of rejoicing that Love is found. In the misconception of the people concerned, they maltreat those of the household of faith who appear to be less privileged and promote those who are heathen, in the place of worship and particularly, on the podium which they call the altar of God. Meanwhile, the one who says they should love one another expects those who are of the faith of Jesus not to be respecter of persons but to be merciful particularly, to the down-trodden.
David had different times in his life: the time of family servitude; the time of ministerial positioning; the time of being a fugitive and the time of kingship and so on. It was the same David that was slave in his father’s house that later became a minister and armor bearer to the king. He was lowly again at a time without any fault of his, before eventually becoming king. Imagine those who had treated him shabbily at the time he was a ‘slave’ and when he was a fugitive (Nabal and co in mind): how would they receive him as king? Shimei was a very clear example. He treated David shabbily on his way to exile but came bowing down on his return to the throne. The mind of God is for us to do to others as we would have them do to us. If we were treated like slaves in our father’s house (in this case, the Church), how would we feel? It is because those who make these decisions are in exalted positions and seek worldly favor that they so judge the people of faith. And by God’s standard, they are applying judgment without mercy. Such they will also have, missing mercy in the day of their judgment if they fail to repent.
The Lord wants us to be careful how we relate with people. It is the same God who made the poor and the rich. In actual fact, He appointed the poor to be rich in faith. How then do we maltreat the owners of the kingdom for those who are without and who do oppress us by drawing us to the world’s judgment seat, cornering to themselves those things that should be for our well-being. Yet, they are placed over us even in our father’s house. Let there be no preferential treatment of men particularly in the gathering of the people of God. And generally, it is evil to treat someone more special because he appears more affluent than another. You may just be maltreating the Lord by so doing. Did He not say He would say to some “when I was hungry, you gave me to eat?”
SOLUTION: Please do not offend God by being judgmental over the poor rather than showing him mercy. For those who fail to show mercy may never receive mercy. It is written that blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. Be merciful and kind towards the poor. You do not know where God is taking Him.
Please pray:
· Give thanks to God for whatever your position is as of today and glorify Him for the place He is set to take you to
· Pray God to forgive you for the ways you had treated the poor unfavorably so as to favor the rich in times past
· Pray God to please promote you also, better than He promoted David and Joseph and several others in times past
· Ask God to give you the fortitude to be merciful in all your judgments and relations going forward
· Ask God for your daily bread today
If you are blessed by this post, kindly share with your contacts, as well as others, that they may be blessed also. Thank you and may God bless you abundantly as you do so, in Jesus’ name
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