Reflection
In today's readings, we encounter God's unwavering standards alongside His boundless compassion. Amos 7-9 reveals God's heart for justice through visions of judgment, yet concludes with promises of restoration. Matthew 15 shows Jesus challenging religious traditions while demonstrating radical mercy to outsiders.

The key insight we can draw from these passages is this: God's justice and mercy work together perfectly, calling us to live righteously while extending His compassion to all people, regardless of their background or status.

Let's break this down into a simple principle:

Pursue justice and righteousness in your own life while showing mercy and grace to others, especially those society overlooks.

Here are five practical steps we can take to apply today's readings:

1. Identify one area where you need to align your life more closely with God's standards of justice.

2. Reach out to someone from a different background or culture and show genuine interest in their story.

3. Examine your attitudes toward people who are different from you and ask God to reveal any prejudice.

4. Take one practical step to help someone in need without expecting anything in return.

5. Pray for perseverance when standing for what's right feels difficult or unpopular.

As you go about your day, reflect on this question: How do you balance speaking truth about justice with showing mercy to those who fall short?

Conclusion
Thank you for joining me today. God's justice and mercy unite in perfect love, calling us to both righteousness and compassion. Until tomorrow, may you be an instrument of His perfect balance.