SCRIPTURE: Proverbs 29
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
The poor and the oppressor have this in common— the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both. [Proverbs 29:13]
This proverb reminded me about how Jesus describes the grace of God for the good and the bad: For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. [Matthew 5:45]
It reminds me of when Peter cuts off the ear of one of those arresting Jesus, and Jesus heals him.
God is not a cruel God, He loves everyone and wants to heal and help everyone.
We all have a chance, God is at work in all of our lives, blessing us or warning us or disciplining us.
All that I am, all that I have, is from God; He determines everything about me for the purpose of drawing me back to Himself.
From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. [Acts 17:26-28]

It is hard to accept that God is graciously at work in the lives of the oppressors too; we think that they do not deserve it!
It is true that God has a special place in His heart for the poor and oppressed, and that He will one day judge the cruel oppressors that do not repent.
But those cruel oppressors are His children too.
Many of them were abused or mistreated themselves, and know no other behaviour.
As I have related to people who committed sad or serious crimes, its been hard to judge them when I heard their stories, what they also went through.
This does not make them innocent; they are still responsible for the choices they made.
But it does remind me that they too are somebody’s children, that they too are in need of mercy and help just like me.
And it also reminds me that I was treated with mercy, I did not get the punishment I deserved.

So the next time I see a ‘guilty sinner’, I need to remember that they are also God’s child, His prodigal, wayward and needy child.
He has given them eyes and hands and minds and gifts and opportunities and resources – all with the purpose of helping them “feel their way toward Him and find Him!”
It worked for me, may it work for them too.

PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for using Solomon’s proverbs to get my attention, to show me the wisdom of Your will. May these words also speak to those who are presently oppressing others – that they may come to their senses and seek Your mercy too.