By Chelsea Bucci

“Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate… let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.” ~ Amos 5:15a, 24

In today’s excerpt from the book of Amos, the Lord shows His people what He considers to be true worship. It was not merely external adherence to feasts and solemnities that God desired, nor a multitude of sacrifices or endless litanies of praise. God instead desires His people to reflect His goodness and righteousness; in their own hearts towards Him, and in their treatment of each other.

Those who belong to the Lord, both in Amos’ day and ours, are called by his grace to reflect His goodness and justice to a world that often lacks both. Sometimes, the idea of “establishing justice in the gates” can feel overwhelming; the problems of our nation and our world can seem too large, too complex, too broken. But what if hating evil, loving good, and letting righteousness flow started in our own lives? What if it began in our hearts and rolled like an ever-flowing stream to everyone we met?

We will hardly be able to establish justice in the city gates if we cannot establish it at our own dinner tables or in our own pews first. So much of injustice can stem from bitterness heaped upon bitterness until resentment has poisoned our ability to see one another clearly. But those who have Christ as Lord have an endless stream of grace to draw from, the grace to shun hatred, to forgive the inexcusable, to love others as ourselves, to forgive as Christ has forgiven us.

Perhaps the foundational act of justice starts with forgiveness; forgiveness for amends that others couldn’t or wouldn’t make, forgiveness for amends long past due that we never made to others. Perhaps the righteousness of Christ begins with remembering that at the foot of His Cross, we all share common ground; our need of His abundant grace.

Prayer:

Lord, open our eyes to an area of our lives that could better reflect your justice. Help us to see our family, our friends, our coworkers and neighbors the way you see them, and to treat them in accordance with your truth and grace. 

Call to Action:

This week, try to keep short accounts with God; boldly approach His throne of grace to find mercy in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16), and freely offer that same mercy to others as an act of righteousness. 

© 2026 WINE — All Rights Reserved