Thankful for God’s Standards

“The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.” Psalm 119: 61-62

           The other day I was listening to three people debate. Each desired to be the next President of the United States. As I have listened to each of them over the past few months I had become aware each one of the three believed in income redistribution. Income redistribution is the belief that exists in socialism and communism where the wealth earned by the wealthiest is taken from them and given to those who do not have very much. The obvious deficit of the idea is that the poor never really profit from redistribution and those who do the collecting of wealth become an elite element of the society taking what is not theirs and keeping it for themselves. As this happens the people whose income they wish to take become downgraded to focus on those who have even very little. So even the poor are oppressed.

           The idea appeals to many because they expect to receive something they did not earn. But the real problem is at the core of the idea is the violation of the commandment that says thou shalt not covet.  “Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.” Deuteronomy 5:21

           God’s standards regarding the paying of taxes are that we render unto the ruler the things that are the ruler’s and unto God the things that are God’s. It is a fact the money is made by government and God lays down some rules about how a righteous ruler should treat his subjects. That which is God’s is our self and the Creation itself. Therefore taking land from someone is evil just as treating men unjustly is evil. But sometimes we have to endure some of the evil behavior of wicked rulers for a time.

           As we go into the season of special Thanksgiving in America I pray that all will join me in praising God that His standards are fair. And we can also pray for the unjust who has authority for a season. We can focus on their great need of Jesus in their lives and not on the evil they do. When men come to know Salvation they change their focus from evil deeds to righteous ones. Therefore it is better to pray for the Salvation of those who have wicked hearts than it is to pray that God will punish them for their wickedness.