One minute read.
Daily Reading: 2 Kings 8:1-9:13, Acts 16:16-40, Psalm 143:1-12, Proverbs 17:26
Daily Verse: “To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good, nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.” Prov. 17:26
Improper punishment.
Punishing innocent people has consequences we may not see on this side of heaven, but God knows. One of the reasons people falsely accuse others happens because of wrong conclusions. Making assumptions without facts leads to punishing innocent people.
Jumping to conclusions leads to wrong judgments, especially when we base those decisions on surface appearance. As I have confessed, I’m guilty of judging people by appearance because of my jealousy.
One of my biggest lessons came from a friend I thought had everything based on appearance, convicting the innocent. I learned after her passing about the pain and suffering she experienced on Earth. My jealousy closed my eyes to her reality.
Mistakenly punishing innocent people happens every day for a variety of reasons. We must check our hearts before we conclude. Understanding motives and not letting wrong intentions rule our decisions helps us avoid punishing innocent people.
Leading with grace means giving people the benefit of the doubt and will stop us from punishing innocent people.
Lord, forgive us for punishing innocent people. Please search our hearts and reveal any negative motives we may have. Help us draw proper conclusions based on facts and not surface appearances. Let us honor You with our actions. IJNIP. Amen
