Here is a parable, of sorts, of a rich man and a man of God. They meet at the top of a hill, so they can’t be overheard. The rich man says to the man of God, ‘You can’t stop me, for I have riches beyond your wildest dreams, I am well-known and I have connections to powerful people. I have the best attorneys on retainer. I can squash you like a bug. What do you have, that compare with what I have?’
The man of God says, ‘I have God.’
They go to court, with the man of God suing the rich man for wronging him. All the rich man’s attorneys present the rich man’s side of the case, try to make the man of God into a fool. The man of God does not waiver, for he knows that God is with him and will uphold him. But, since the man is human, he is a little anxious for although he knows that God will stand with him, he doesn’t know when. And what can he alone do, against this rich and powerful man?
The judge, who is God-fearing, ends up ruling in the man of God’s favor, and the rich man and his attorneys, who worship money instead of God, wonder how it is that they presented such a convincing case before the judge, yet the judge rules in favor of ‘a penniless fool’?
We who strive for righteousness know the answer…God will stand with those who love Him. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” And whoever has God in their heart will judge righteously, realizing that one cannot worship God and money at the same time and money can’t buy God’s love. And any money used to uphold anything but God, is money that amounts to wages of sin which eventually leads to death in the flesh. So, the judge, with God in his heart, cannot be bought off, nor is he impressed by the elaborate and costly presentation of the rich and powerful man’s side of the case as he rules in favor of the man of God.
From the judge’s side of things, what is more important than to love God with all your heart. Soul and mind, and to love eachother as you would yourself? What is more important, in that regard, than to do unto others what you would want done to you as written in Matthew 7:12, and to judge others as you yourself would want to be judged as written in Matthew 7:1? And as it is also written in the Bible that those who govern righteously, do so in the name of God, so the judge, as part of the government, understands his role in the case before him.
We have seen recently, where a rich and well-know man, with connections, was taken down by some who, but for the case at hand, were unknown and who couldn’t hold a candle to the man’s wealth. There, the governing authority extended to the jury who convicted the man. Neither the jury, many of whom may even have grown up watching the man’s shows on TV, or see his nightclub acts, listen to his records, funny man he was, or see him in commercials, or have seen him in TV documentaries, nor the judge, were dazzled enough to render a verdict that flies in the path of righteousness. In that case, God’s presence prevailed over the man’s riches and earthly connections.
And does not Hebrews 13:6 and Psalm 118:6 say, in their own way, “The Lord is on my side; l will not fear. What can man do to me?” And does not Psalm 23:1 say, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want?”
In the case at hand, some may wonder why it took so long for justice under God to be done? But we know that the goodness of God has its own timetable that doesn’t go by ours. So, in our love for Him we must be patient when the results don’t appear to come quick enough, for the goodness of God prevails eventually.
So, Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; Wait for the Lord!”
The man of God says, ‘I have God.’
They go to court, with the man of God suing the rich man for wronging him. All the rich man’s attorneys present the rich man’s side of the case, try to make the man of God into a fool. The man of God does not waiver, for he knows that God is with him and will uphold him. But, since the man is human, he is a little anxious for although he knows that God will stand with him, he doesn’t know when. And what can he alone do, against this rich and powerful man?
The judge, who is God-fearing, ends up ruling in the man of God’s favor, and the rich man and his attorneys, who worship money instead of God, wonder how it is that they presented such a convincing case before the judge, yet the judge rules in favor of ‘a penniless fool’?
We who strive for righteousness know the answer…God will stand with those who love Him. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” And whoever has God in their heart will judge righteously, realizing that one cannot worship God and money at the same time and money can’t buy God’s love. And any money used to uphold anything but God, is money that amounts to wages of sin which eventually leads to death in the flesh. So, the judge, with God in his heart, cannot be bought off, nor is he impressed by the elaborate and costly presentation of the rich and powerful man’s side of the case as he rules in favor of the man of God.
From the judge’s side of things, what is more important than to love God with all your heart. Soul and mind, and to love eachother as you would yourself? What is more important, in that regard, than to do unto others what you would want done to you as written in Matthew 7:12, and to judge others as you yourself would want to be judged as written in Matthew 7:1? And as it is also written in the Bible that those who govern righteously, do so in the name of God, so the judge, as part of the government, understands his role in the case before him.
We have seen recently, where a rich and well-know man, with connections, was taken down by some who, but for the case at hand, were unknown and who couldn’t hold a candle to the man’s wealth. There, the governing authority extended to the jury who convicted the man. Neither the jury, many of whom may even have grown up watching the man’s shows on TV, or see his nightclub acts, listen to his records, funny man he was, or see him in commercials, or have seen him in TV documentaries, nor the judge, were dazzled enough to render a verdict that flies in the path of righteousness. In that case, God’s presence prevailed over the man’s riches and earthly connections.
And does not Hebrews 13:6 and Psalm 118:6 say, in their own way, “The Lord is on my side; l will not fear. What can man do to me?” And does not Psalm 23:1 say, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want?”
In the case at hand, some may wonder why it took so long for justice under God to be done? But we know that the goodness of God has its own timetable that doesn’t go by ours. So, in our love for Him we must be patient when the results don’t appear to come quick enough, for the goodness of God prevails eventually.
So, Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; Wait for the Lord!”
