October Reflections on Proverbs 31: Day 9, Verse 9

"Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." 

ad·vo·cate

noun

1. 1.

   a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy (synonyms: champion, upholder, supporter, backer, promoter, proponent, exponent, spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson, campaigner, fighter, crusader)

   • 
     

verb

1. 1.

   publicly recommend or support (recommend, prescribe, advise, urge)

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Advocate is both a noun and a verb (Merrium Webster Online Dictionary). Mama wasn't giving Lemuel an option for either silence or indifference concerning the helpless. She was teaching him at a very young age the importance of advocacy for those who needed it. Afterall, he was in a position to help them. 

Do you know that we have an advocate? "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26). Not only do we have the Holy Spirit working on our behalf, Jesus is our mediator to the Father in Heaven (Romans 8:34). You see, we come to the Father with nothing to offer and a great debt of sin against us. Our constant accuser keeps hauling us into the King's court. We are the helpless, the voiceless, the destitute. Praise be to God that we have an advocate and a Great Defender to take our case before the King and declare us righteous. 

What has been freely done for us we should also readily do for others; it is our great example. Silence in the face of injustice is really passive agreement. Lemuel's mother was holding her son to a principle later found in the book of James: faith in action. Children who don't learn compassion can grow into adults who don't show compassion. Our little children need to know they can make a big difference in our broken world now while they are small. Follow the example of Lemuel's mother and teach them how while they are young.