November 15 | Isaiah 1:21-31

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DAILY READING

Isaiah 1:21-31,  Micah 6:8, Psalm 37 & Romans 12:2

REFLECTION

Being light in the Darkness

By Todd Marti

This week’s readings have been disturbing. They described a society on the brink because it turned from God’s ways, indulged corruption, and preyed upon the vulnerable.  That continued in today’s reading. Those readings have been even more disturbing because of the parallels to what we see in our own days.

How do we, as individual believers, respond to that? Scripture provides a consistent answer: we are to live justly and mercifully as individuals, providing a contrast to the society we live in.

Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, encountered the same dysfunction we have been reading about this week. He called God’s people to the countercultural response of acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God.  Micah 6:8. The author of Psalm 37, writing in another time of corruption, provided similar direction. Saint Paul, writing to believers in a different, but similarly debauched society, put it well: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2.

What does that look like, what are the specifics? Those scriptures provide guidance. Two things stand out.

First, we should each regularly examine ourselves to identify and address ways that we have taken on or taken part in the types of dysfunction we see in society at large.  That is inevitable to some extent; we cannot help but be influenced by our environment.  We therefore need to look for and turn from those things.  That is the type of testing and non-conformity described in Romans 12:2.

Second, we should each do what we can to mitigate the impact of the degeneration around us. We should be just—and charitable—in our dealings with others, especially those we have conflict with. We should do what we can to help the vulnerable among us and those treated unjustly (some ways to do so can be found  here, here, and here). That is acting justly and loving mercy within the meaning of Micah 6:8. It is also doing good in the midst of evil times as described in Psalm 37:3  and 27.

Will our individual acts of righteousness and mercy turn society around? Probably not, but they will help within our areas of individual impact. That is all that is expected of us; as Mother Theresa aptly observed, “We are not called to be successful, but faithful.”

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, help each of us to see our society through your eyes. Help each of us to see where it has corrupted us and help us to turn from that corruption. Help each of us to see the individual acts of justice and mercy we can do and help us to do them. We ask this in Jesus’ name.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TODD MARTI

I have been connected to UALC since 2000 in various small groups and as a co-manager of the UALC Community Garden. I’m married to Kelly Marti, and the proud father of Sarah Marti. I am happy to be writing these devotions.