“Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.” Psalm 82:3
There’s a Rhode Island judge who’s become pretty famous, not for his harsh sentences, but rather for his mercy. Judge Frank Caprio is the Chief Municipal Judge in Providence, Rhode Island. Someone took note of Judge Caprio’s bent toward mercy and decided to create a You Tube channel and Facebook page. His philosophy, as seen from the bench, differs from the typical “tough on crime” approach and instead leans heavy on mercy. Not only do defendants often leave his court room with a reduced sentence or dismissed case, but they also leave with a word of encouragement and inspiration.
Webster’s Dictionary defines “providence” as “divine guidance or care.” Religion and traditional teaching have often given us the impression that God is an angry old man just ready to pounce on us at our next mistake. That, however couldn’t be further from the truth! Jesus depicted God as our loving and gracious Heavenly Father who extends mercy to the underserving. Now sure, we see the God of wrath as clear as a bell in the Old Testament, but in the New Covenant the cross has made all the difference. God poured out His wrath and judgment upon Jesus on the cross so that you and I could experience a whole different side of Him.
Today, if you find yourself with violations great or small, call out to your loving heavenly Father and throw yourself upon His mercy and grace. You’ll discover that being “caught in His Providence” is the beast place on earth you could ever be.