Day 35, Year 1 Depart from Crookedness to Have Peace

“They do not know the way of peace, And there is no justice in their tracks; They have made their paths crooked, Whoever treads on them does not know peace.” (Isaiah 59:8 NASB)

“Now hear this, You heads of the house of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice And pervert all equity.” (Micah 3:9 NKJV)

Both the words “crooked” in the first verse and “pervert” in the second originate from the same Hebrew word ‘aqash, signifying a state of “twist, or perverse.” This is another term for crookedness found in the Old Testament. According to God’s design, when believers walk in righteousness, fairness, uprightness, and purity, we will experience a sense of peace within our hearts. This inner peace from God often develops into a godly self-confidence in believers. In other words, when we act according to God’s righteousness and purity, His peace will surely fill our hearts. Contrarily, it is clear from the first verse that those with twisted minds or crooked deeds do not have any peace.

However, some might object and point out that many crooked people seem to have peace. In reality, the peace they possess often comes from a certain filthy community, ill-gotten wealth, or even evil wisdom, etc. It could be understood that since their hearts lack peace from God, they seek solace from external security. This sense of false security from defiled communities or other evils could easily mislead them to collectively engage in wrongdoings, and lead them into destruction ultimately. Instead, believers need to seek the identification of the Spiritual community, which can actually be a group of believers that connects across time and space.

The second verse of today seems to highlight the primary cause of human crookedness. A small number of people might choose to be twisted. But based on my observation, most of them are compelled to accept and learn crookedness from authority figures such as leaders, officials, teachers, or parents as mentioned in this verse, subsequently passing it on. Those forced to bend due to unfairness often find themselves in a situation where they are compelled to do wrong with no choice. In fact, they have to either resist evil authorities, risk bearing the consequences of disobedience or disloyalty to humans, or conform and commit evil. In this situation, following the principle of choosing the lesser of the two evils, resisting evil authorities and condemning inequalities seem to be the only way to break free from the possible twisted minds and habits in us. Resisting evil authority could eliminate the pervert that comes from the source, minimizing harm to ourselves and allowing us to enter heaven easily. However, acting with a crooked mind, regardless of the reason, makes salvation and becoming a child of God impossible. This issue will be further discussed tomorrow.

Reflection questions:

1) In your opinion, what holds a greater significance: having a just and peaceful heart or seeking affirmation from others? If needed, how would you cling to the Lord to change yourself?

2) Are you willing to pay the price of resisting evil authorities and condemning inequalities in order to uphold your righteousness, fairness, integrity, and purity? Why?