Day 17
I was
very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
Nehemiah
5:6
When
we are confronted with injustice, we have a decision to make. We can turn our
heads and pretend we did not see it, or we can do our part to make it right.
Over and over again, we see the result of too many people pretending that
injustices do not exist. When we approach things in this way, not only are
injustices allowed to continue, they increase.
In
the midst of rebuilding the wall, Nehemiah discovers that there is a problem
within his community. The work is taking place during a famine. Because of the
famine, food is scarce. Because food is scarce, the prices have risen. People
have spent all of their money trying to get food and have had to borrow money
to take care of other expenses. This situation created an opportunity for those
who had money to abuse and take advantage of those who did not.
The
people ultimately turn to Nehemiah for help. They have lost their homes and
land to foreclosure. Some of their children have been sold into slavery to
cover their bad debts. The interest that is being charged on loans is exorbitant.
In the end, Nehemiah is in disbelief and grows to be “very angry”.
It
would have been easy for Nehemiah to ignore the problem because he was focused
on the wall. He could have said that he would deal with it later, but now was
not the time. Nehemiah could have said someone else would have to deal with it
because he was too busy. However, Nehemiah stops what he is doing and rights
the wrong.
We,
like Nehemiah, must not turn away from injustice. Be bold enough to speak up.
Be courageous enough to engage. Make sure that we do not ignore what God has put
right in front of us. Fight for justice.
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