October 17 Petition Mission

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice” (Prov 21:2-3).

Perhaps you’ve heard the adage, “When all is said and done, more is said than done.” I’ve found these lines from the Proverbs a good reality check. They contrast two sets of measurement. In the first case, we have man’s adjustable ruler, what “is right in his own eyes.” Whatever I do, my tendency is to give myself a great deal of grace in assessing it!

But the Lord looks beyond externals to the heart condition. That tells the real story. In the second sentence, Solomon imagines what men consider the best we can do—to sacrifice something, which often results in men’s praise. But better than that, says the Wise Man, is to actually DO what is right and just. In 1862, President Lincoln admonished the American people: “It is not ‘Can any of us imagine better?’ but ‘Can we all do better?’” Lord, help me to DO Your pleasure today.