Amos 5:24

This is a powerful demand from God for unstoppable fairness and care for the vulnerable, warning that empty religious rituals are meaningless without moral integrity. By definition, Justice is a fundamental and ethical principle based on equity, fairness and the rule of law. It ensures that individuals receive what they are due, whether it is appropriate rewards for good deeds or fair consequences for bad ones.

The prophet Amos delivered this message to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of great economic prosperity, but also deep moral decay. The wealthy and powerful were exploiting the poor, taking bribes in court, and using false scales in business. Despite this widespread oppression, the people were still faithfully attending religious festivals and offering sacrifices. The prophet Amos is condemning the religious hypocrisy and demands that the society establish true justice and righteousness , rather than just offering the obligatory sacrifice.

God’s law for His people was always about loving God and loving others. In the time of Amos, it seems that His people had totally missed the point. The prophet Hosea reveals the heart of God in this matter: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6). God provided the sacrificial system for His people because He knew that they would sin, and He wanted to provide a way for their sin to be cleansed. In Amos’s day, the people used God’s sacrificial system like pagan religious systems. They didn’t follow God’s moral law, and they assumed perfunctory obedience to the letter of the law would suffice. They were stuck in a legalistic religion. But Amos emphasizes that God would rather have true justice rather than outward conformity to his laws.

Martin Luther King Jr. famously invoked the phrase "let justice roll down" during the Civil Rights Movement to demand immediate equality and an end to systemic racism. The exact line, "...we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream," was a focal point of his 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. It was a rallying call that true racial equality was a necessity.

This verse is as relevant today as they were in Amos’s time. The call to justice and righteousness is a timeless one, calling us to examine our own lives and the society we live in to ensure that we align with God’s standards of justice and mercy.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, Be in our hearts so that we may be truly just and righteous people, not merely mouthing the words. Open our eyes to the injustice of the world and guide us to right the wrongs and continue to do Your will. Amen

This devotional was written by Virginia Hardwick Kerr and read by Sally Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Deuteronomy 10:12 (NRSV)

Her name was Sam. At least, that's what she told people here, because her real name — Xiomara — made people uncomfortable. They'd try it once, mangle it, and look relieved when she smiled and said, "Sam is fine."

She arrived in 2004, with two suitcases, a worn-out dictionary, and the same dream every person who ever came here — including my ancestors and yours — carried with them: a better life.

What she hadn't expected was the grocery store. Not the size, but the variety. An older woman noticed her staring at forty-seven kinds of breakfast cereal with an expression somewhere between confusion and panic. The woman picked up a box of Cheerios, held it out, and said, "These are good," and walked away.

Sam ate Cheerios every morning for a month. After that, she discovered Raisin Bran. And Captain Crunch.

She learned English fast, out of necessity, and before long had a job at a hospital. There was still the apartment manager who told her she didn't 'sound right' for the building. Still, the coworker who spoke slowly and loudly at her, like more volume could fix the language gap. But there was also still the woman from the cereal aisle.

A few months later, Sam ran into the “cereal aisle” woman again. The woman remembered her. She asked how she was getting on, and actually listened to the answer. Before they parted, she said, "We have a church. Nothing fancy, just like the Cheerios. But the people are good. You're welcome if you want to come."

She came. A Sunday school teacher named Harold learned her name on the first try. Over time, people cared for her and visited her, “just because.” Like a neighbor. Like a person. She was home.

Moses, near the end of his life, stood before the people he led through the wilderness and asked them a question: What does the Lord your God require of you? He doesn't leave it hanging. Fear God. Walk in his ways. Love him. Serve him with everything you have. And — almost as a natural consequence — love the stranger. Because you were strangers once. You know what that cost.

America turns 250 this summer. That's worth celebrating. Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of men put their names to a document that said, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." They didn’t make that up. They reached for something they believed was already true, written into the nature of things by God himself. Some of them would lose everything for signing it — their homes, their fortunes, their lives. It is right to honor that. It is right to celebrate it. But that creed is now ours to carry. Every person. Including the ones who show up with two suitcases and a worn-out dictionary and dreams of a better life.

Being a true American, in the purest sense, has always meant taking that creed seriously — living it. Jesus didn't leave much ambiguity about what that looks like either. Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself. Sam is a neighbor. Xiomara is a neighbor. The cereal lady understood that. The apartment manager hadn't gotten there yet.

Moses's question still hangs in the air. It was never aimed at strangers. It's aimed at the people who already claim the name.

What does the Lord require of you?

Father, remind us what it felt like to need someone to hand us a box of cereal. Give us the grace to go back down that aisle and invite someone in. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartney

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

You are listening to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee.

This is Scripture Saturday, a time when we pause and reflect on the scriptures we have read throughout the week. If you missed any of our devotionals on these passages, you can find them on our website at 1stChurch.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now, we invite you to listen and receive Grace. Welcome and thank you for joining us.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Micah 6:6-8 (CEB)

I don't know if this is true of most people, but I know it is true of me: I have often wanted a checklist.

Sure, I make my own checklists, but that's not what I'm talking about. I mean the kind someone hands you. How to do your taxes. Step one. Step two. Step three. How to choose a career. How to be a good husband. How to write a novel.

The problem is the assumption that if you gather all the right pieces and assemble them correctly, you will automatically end up with something whole. Do all the little steps, or even all the big steps, and everything will turn out right.

That's not how life works.

Don’t get me wrong, checklists are useful. I use them all the time. But they are just a tool. Assembling all the ingredients of a cake does not guarantee you'll end up with a good cake, even if you stir everything together, even if you follow all the directions. Something separates an excellent baker from a merely adequate one, things like judgment, experience, and feel.

Through the prophet Micah, God pointed out the shortcoming of Israel's checklist mentality. They had a list of good things to do—even impressive things—but they were missing what those things were supposed to accomplish. Maybe they wanted to earn their way to God. At the very least, they could look back over the previous week or month and check off their accomplishments.

I suspect that's why most of us like checklists. We want to know when we've done enough.

But God offered something different. Not a lower standard, but a higher one.

How can you tell when you have completed justice? How do you know when you have fully embraced faithful love? Do you ever finish walking humbly with your God?

Maybe that's the point. If we can check something off a list, we tend to think we're done with it. But our relationship with God is never a one-and-done experience. It is an ongoing journey, a continuing walk. The goal is not to arrive somewhere. The goal is to walk with God.

Micah's listeners probably thought they had accomplished great things, and from a human perspective, perhaps they did. But God has always seemed less concerned with accomplishments than with relationships.

That is a good reminder for me. I need to stop asking whether I've done enough. I never will. "Enough" is not the point.

The relationship is.

Gracious God, thank you for inviting us into a relationship rather than a performance. Teach us to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with you each day. When we become preoccupied with doing enough, remind us that your desire is to walk beside us. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Donn King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

She was diagnosed with colon cancer and a huge obstructive mass removed from her colon. Further testing revealed spread to the lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are the transport system in our bodies that work with our immune system to fight off infection and disease. But hers now carried the seeds of cancer that could spread to other vital organs. Chemotherapy to kill the “seeds of cancer” was prescribed and the administration of chemo began a few weeks ago.

You’d think she would be sad, depressed, or scared. But NO! She remains calm, optimistic, and trusting God! She has told everyone that she has no fear, no worry, no anxiety. And I can vouch for that! She is my sister! She has put her life completely in God’s hands. She rests under his wings. She walks through the valley of the shadow of death and fears no evil. She trusts in God, whatever may come.

She does not mourn her situation, but dances in God’s arms! She could be wearing sackcloth, but she is clothed in joy, wrapped in God’s LOVE and her soul is praising God. She feels wrapped in God’s LOVE and is praising Him at all times. If you are one of her friends, you have likely been blessed to see this exuberant faith for yourself.

I thank God for the beautiful example my little sister sets for me, for us all! She exemplifies Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Let’s join my precious Rebecca and do just that!

Dear God, help us to center ourselves in you and to trust you with all our hearts, no matter the circumstances we find ourselves facing. Help us to submit our worries to you, to lay them at your feet. Help us to trust that you love us unfailingly and that even through hardship and troubles, you are with us. Help us to lay our burdens at your feet and to hide ourselves in You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Bless is an action verb. It is not passive and should not be. For those who do not remember the grammar lesson inherent in that statement, being passive subverts who is the actor and who is the object. In other words, it is a mistake to hide who is taking action and who is receiving that action.

As humans we are quick to say, “may the LORD bless me and keep me.” But have I blessed the LORD? Have I praised and asked that the LORD be blessed? Personally, I’ve never really thought about how much I have asked to be blessed but never really blessed the LORD with my whole heart. My initial reaction to the concept is that I am not worthy to bless the LORD. I have found myself wondering why God would want my blessing. I feel unworthy. I think that my blessing is worth very little. How could I possibly bless the LORD?

Instead of showering the LORD with praise, I have looked at things in life and wondered why they have not been blessed. I think things could be better. I think they are too broken. I think a lot of things. But have I ever really returned the blessings to God? Have I actively with my whole heart sung praise to the LORD for all of the benefit and wonder that is bestowed on me every moment of everyday on this Earth? Of course I haven’t, and yet I go about my day asking God to bless this and do that. I pray that this or that happens this or that way. I pray that God take care of me. I pray that God shine his light on me.

I have always focused on what God blesses. Or more accurately, I have always focused on what my human understanding thinks is blessed or should be.

And then through His love I understand. All acts of true love are reciprocal. If I am not blessing the LORD then I am not really understanding the blessings bestowed on me. I am still such a child in my understanding. I am so passive, constantly asking the LORD to act in my favor. I am so blind. LORD, let me see!

So now I stop and bless Our Father for all he is in every moment. I bless the LORD for being more, knowing more, and forgiving more. And now I read some of the key verses of Psalm 103 with clearer vision:

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

He does not treat us as our sins deserve- or repay us according to our iniquities.

He remembers that we are dust.

The life of mortals is like grass, -they flourish like a flower of the field;

The wind blows over it and it is gone, - and its place remembers it no more.

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Let this be our pray today and every day.

When I choose to act, may it a blessing to God, of God, for God.

When I choose to sing, may I choose words that praise the LORD and everyone around me.

When I sit in silence, may I listen to the blessings the LORD whispers in my heart?

May every action, every utterance, and every moment of reflection be filled with praise for Our LORD, Amen.

This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by Susan Daves.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

When we hear the word "gift," most of us think of talent — the ability to play an instrument, to paint a picture, to speak before a crowd. These are real gifts, and we should not dismiss them. But Peter has something broader in mind, and if we read him too narrowly, we may miss something important about ourselves.

The Greek word the writer of this epistle uses is charismata — gifts of grace. And grace, as Peter describes it here, comes in many forms. The word he uses for "various" is poikilēs, which means many-colored, like a richly woven fabric. The gifts through which grace flows are just as varied. Some of them don't show up on a résumé. The gift of sitting quietly with someone who is grieving. The gift of asking exactly the right question at exactly the right moment. The gift of noticing what everyone else has walked past. These are real gifts, and they carry real Kingdom weight.

The problem is that we often can't see them in ourselves. What comes naturally to us, we tend to dismiss. We assume that if something is easy for us, it must be easy for everyone. And so a capacity that God has quietly placed in us — shaped by everything we have lived and learned and suffered — gets waved off as nothing special. Sometimes we call this modesty. But there is a kind of false modesty that is really just a failure of honest inventory.

The epistle writers calls us faithful stewards of these gifts. In the ancient world, a steward was not a passive caretaker. A steward was a manager, someone entrusted with resources and expected to put them to work. Jesus makes exactly this point in the parable of the talents. The servant who buried his talent in the ground wasn't being humble. He was being faithless. Fear and false modesty produce the same result — the gift goes unused, ungrown, and the people it was meant for never receive it.

Faithful stewardship means first recognizing what we have been given — honestly, without inflation but also without denial. It means developing those gifts, which takes effort and intention. And it means spending them freely, in service to others, trusting that God's grace does not run out when we give it away. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. The more freely the gift is shared, the more abundantly it grows.

What gift has God placed in you that you have been reluctant to name? What capacity have you dismissed as unremarkable that someone around you has quietly needed? These are not small questions. How we answer them is part of what it means to be a faithful steward of God's many-colored grace.

Our Father, open our eyes to the gifts you have placed within us. Give us the honesty to name them, the discipline to develop them, and the generosity to share them freely with those around us. May we be faithful stewards of your grace in all its many forms. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

You are listening to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee.

This is Scripture Saturday, a time when we pause and reflect on the scriptures we have read throughout the week. If you missed any of our devotionals on these passages, you can find them on our website at 1stChurch.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now, we invite you to listen and receive Grace. Welcome and thank you for joining us.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.