Practice True & Righteous Judgment
Black and white and shades of gray
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These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts.
Zechariah 8:16 (NET)
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I really like verses like this, that simplify our walk with God into a few big ideas.
Of course, the classic example is Jesus talking about the Great Commandments: Love God, Love People.
This one has more to do with the trajectory of our actions.
What I mean is, it gives us a couple big ideas of what kinds of actions to do as we live life. For the most part, if we keep to these actions, we would do well.
Speak truth
Practice righteous judgment
Living a truthful life, especially speaking truth to one another, is obvious enough.
But what about this practicing righteous judgment?
This instructs us on how to deal with situations where the right thing to do is unknown.
(Obviously I’m taking this verse beyond the courtroom, but strictly speaking it is talking about the court.)
To use a color metaphor: speaking truth is black & white. It’s very binary, it either is or isn’t true.
But righteous judgment is where all the shades of gray come in.
Sometimes it’s hard to know which action is the best one to take.
When that happens I must rely on the Truth of Scripture to help guide me.
Also, I have the Holy Spirit, He helps a ton, too.
Maybe the right answer isn’t explicitly found in a Bible verse. But often a principle that guides me to the right answer is in there.
I just need to find it, make a decision, and trust God with the outcome.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2025 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
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