Day 6: Image bearers
Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all (Proverbs 22:2).
Heavenly Father, the psalmist prayed, O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions (Psalm 104:24 - NKJV). You pointed out to Job, “Who has a claim against Me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to Me (Job 41:11).
You do not measure value by human status, or earthly possessions, or this world’s “treasures,” for Wealth and honor come from You; You are the ruler of all things. In Your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all (1 Chronicles 29:12).
But You know our hearts, how easily they are deceived by the superficial and the shallow the outward and the obvious. It was this tendency You addressed when You told the prophet Samuel: "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
Father, when You called to Yourself a people through whom You would ultimately accomplish Your redemption plan for all humanity, You revealed Yourself as the Lord their God… God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes (Deuteronomy 10:17).
And in accordance with Your own character, You established for them standards of justice, and fair judgment, and equal treatment: “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly’” (Leviticus 19:5).
You word is clear, Lord, that no distinction exists in human value between rich or poor—You created both (Proverbs 22:2) in Your own image and likeness (Genesis1:27). And You considered each soul valuable enough for the Lord Jesus to give His life for all (2 Corinthians 5:14).
As His followers, we are those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again. And we are instructed that from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view (2 Corinthians 5:15-16).
All we have has come from You. The apostle issues us the challenge, For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? (1 Corinthians 4:7).
We are Your image-bearers. We all experience life in common. We all need Your grace in common, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Uncover in us any areas of pride, prejudice, and partiality.
Help us not to set ourselves up above others made in Your image—on the basis of status, nationality, ethnicity, color, education, human accomplishments or worldly possessions. Instead, make us channels of blessing through which the love and grace of our merciful Savior flow to the lowly, the outcast, the disparaged, and the disdained—as much as to the mighty and the privileged.
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