Praying for our leaders is something we all should do, and it is incredibly important because if our leaders and government go off track, it becomes more and more difficult to “lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (I Timothy 2:2)

Maps show us the best way to get to where we want to go. They show us potential dangers to avoid. And without maps we might get terribly lost or delayed. This is also what God’s Word does for our life. It guides us to where we want to go. It shows us the best way to get there. It cautions us on dangers to avoid.

When you’re not feeling well, there are some good first steps to take. One of them is to reach for a thermometer, to check your temperature. Knowing your body’s internal temperature can be a good indicator of whether or not you are fighting a disease. Too high a temperature means you should probably seek medical attention or some medicinal treatment.

But what if you were sick and the only treatment you sought was a thermometer? What if you confused the indicator for the cure?

An individual’s political stance is the outgrowth of one’s deepest philosophical beliefs. This is a big part of why there is such political polarization in our country today, and why it is often so difficult to find common ground between different political ideologies. Much of the tension can be traced back to two distinctly different philosophies: the Secular view of government’s role is distinctly different from the Bible’s view of government’s role.

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. (Proverbs 29:2)

God’s Word shows us the best way to live. Believers are supposed to live righteous lives marked by virtue. We are supposed to honor and obey the government. But when the wicked rule, they harm the people by enacting unjust laws and unbiblical policies. So Scripture also authorizes civil disobedience, that is, obeying God’s law when doing so requires disobeying human edicts. But biblical civil disobedience doesn’t mean we can just do whatever we want, and it doesn’t mean we can disobey any law we don’t like. So what should we do when the government becomes unjust? And what should our civil disobedience look like?

Nebuchadnezzar was king of the whole known world. His empire was vast, his word was law, and his temper was infamous. That’s why the actions of the three young Hebrew men were so remarkable. Throughout their service to the king they had shown courtesy and obedience, but now they refused him to his face. Stubbornly, defiantly, they disobeyed his command. What would cause these otherwise respectful men to act this way? Aren’t God-fearing people supposed to obey the government?

Are the messages you hear around you teaching that God gave government the responsibility to enact justice by punishing those who do wrong and commending those who do right? Are they teaching that justice requires every person be treated equally (not that there must be equal outcomes) and that those who commit offenses must personally make them right, and this payment then brings an end to the matter? Are they teaching that government should apply the principles of equality and equal restitution to all areas of law? Are they promoting Biblical values in ways that are consistent with Scripture? Are they teaching the need for Jesus to heal the hurts caused by sins of injustice, and that only Jesus can give us the love required for forgiveness and virtue?

When they heard the message of John the Baptist, the people asked him a brilliant question: “What then shall we do?” They understood that they needed to apply God’s truth to their lives, and respond with action (Luke 3:7-17).

This is also the question we need to ask as we consider God’s instructions on government and justice.

There is so much confusion and disagreement about the role of government! It’s little wonder, considering the many different types of government (monarchy, oligarchy, democracy, republic, etc.), and the many different political parties (Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Communist, etc.). How are we to know what viewpoint is correct? Why do we even have a government, anyway? What is its purpose?

These days going to the gas station can be a scary experience. There’s a certain amount of fear – just how much is it going to cost to fill up? But there’s another question we don’t consider as often – how do we know how much gas we just bought? What if the pump charged you for 15 gallons, when it only gave you 10?

Imagine you are standing in court before the judge. The evidence has been presented, and you have been found guilty of committing a great crime. Your sentence is certainly coming, and it will be terrible: you will be faced with a fine so large you will never be able to pay it off, even if you work for the rest of your life. It will mean isolation, suffering, and death.

Do you have a favorite movie or TV show from your childhood? Mine was The Lone Ranger. It was incredible how he could sense someone’s need for help, out-shoot, out-think, out-ride, and out-fight everyone, restore order, put the bad guys behind bars, and wrap up every detail in just 30 minutes, while still managing to sneak away in the last scene, so the people he had helped would be left saying “I never even got to thank him!” and “Who was that masked man?” To me as a nine-year-old, that formula never got old!

It can be difficult to define “justice” when put on the spot. Many of the greatest philosophers of the Western tradition, from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the doctoral professors of the 21st Century have struggled with the question, “what is justice?” But amazingly, even when we can’t define it, we all somehow know that justice is important.

In this series of articles, we will dig deeply into Scripture to see what God’s Word says about justice, and how we can to apply it to our lives and to our culture. The Bible’s teaching may surprise or upset you, but remember that we are seeking wisdom from God — looking to discover what the whole of His Word truly says, not just what we would like it to say.

The story from 1 Samuel 21 and 22 where David goes into the tabernacle in Nob, talks to the priest Abimelech, takes some holy bread from him and Goliath’s sword as well, has always been fascinating to me.

Though the world may look dark, with no hope, and impossible to overcome – here is the promise of the Lord for us TODAY -

“Let the Lord be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” (Psalm 35:27b)

David spends the whole of Psalm 35 detailing out all of the hardship that he was experiencing by the hand of his adversaries. They were fighting against him, pursuing him relentlessly, gathering against him, and mocking him - so why is he singing?

There are times in life when something happens to us that is simply WRONG. Injustice happens. My thoughts instantly go to a family that I know that lost their one son…