Today’s devotion is Luke 12:57-59.
“57 “And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right?
58 “For while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.
59 “I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent.” Luke 12:57-59.
As an attorney, I appreciate the practical wisdom of this Scripture. We should try to settle our case (whether it be a criminal or civil case) with our opponent. We may not be able to reasonably settle our case, but we should at least try.
Often, we will read a Scripture with a specific command, or general advice like the one in today’s Scripture. We should not limit our analysis to exactly what we should do, but we should extend our analysis to a search of what God has given us to help us to do what He commands or advises.
Accordingly, my thoughts turn to some of the “helps” that God has given us to help us settle our cases.
The Holy Spirit bears the fruit of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”. See Galatians 5:22-23. These fruit work toward achieving settlement and against impulses in us which would work against settlement such as “enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, and envying”. See Galatians 5:20-21.
God also gives us generally favor with man. “For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield.”
Psalm 5:12 “So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.”
Proverbs 3:4 This general favor with our opponent makes it easier to settle the case with him or her.
Regarding these two “helps”, we certainly recognize that we will not be able to settle all our cases. Even if we “turn the other cheek” and give our shirt and cloak to our opponent, he or she may still not want to settle with us. There are Scriptures which tell us that we will be hated and persecuted. We are also commanded to be just, so there are limits as to how far we should go toward settlement.
So again, this is general advice and some of the “helps” that God has given us to help us settle our cases. We continue to meditate on all of God’s Word so that we achieve success. “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:2-3.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 