“When I was a young teenager, my dad, uncles, cousins, and I went trout
fishing at the head waters of the Sacramento River in California. The source of
the river is melted snow, so the water was swift, clear, cold, and refreshing.
My cousins and I couldn’t resist stepping into the cool current while angling
for rainbow trout.
On the way home, we stopped for a dip in a pond that was far different.
The pond water was warm, and it smelled stagnant. It contrasted greatly with
that swiftly flowing, invigorating stream”( D.F. – american writer).
The prophet Amos used the metaphor of a stream to illustrate the
transforming power of righteousness. Appalled at Israel’s dead religious ritual
and their exploitation of the poor (Amos 2:6-8; 5:21-27),
he called for justice and righteousness to prevail. He saw that God’s people
were stuck in the stagnant pond of injustice toward others when what they
needed was a life marked by “righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Likewise, God desires for us to allow justice to “run down like water”
from our lives. One way that can happen is to strive for just laws and to
champion loving care for the poor. May we seek to be a part of God’s mighty
stream of His righteousness until Christ returns.
Righteousness follows when truth springs into action. (RBC)
