Leviticus 25:47-27:13
Mark 10:35-52
Psalm 45:1-17
Proverbs 10:22
A life with God or without? Hmmm....let me think about this.
If I follow God, things fall into place. Obedience means I do things and things happen in the proper time - the rain falls, the harvest comes in, it will be fruitful to excess, and I will accomplish so much with few resources. And I will be peaceful.
If I live without God, I do not enjoy His comfort and protection. Left to my own devices I lock my house and bar my door at night for fear of a robber, I work uncertain it will be enough, uncertain I will enjoy the fruit of my labor. What strength I have will prove insufficient. I'll plant at the wrong time, and there is no guarantee the harvest will be good, much less fruitful to excess. I will eat, seeking the ways and the pleasures of the world, but will not be satisfied. And it gets worse...much worse.
Ok, easy choice - a life with God. As the proverb says, "The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it."
But how to live it? The disciples, who spent so much - all? - of their time with Jesus, even they didn't seem to get it. Perhaps we can take comfort in their imperfection, and follow their example. When told of where they had to go and what would happen there, how their Master was to be tortured, disgraced and killed, they followed.
Every day I face this choice - to seek God's will, or to go my own way - in so many ways. I wish I could say that, after all this time, I am confident I would choose to obey God consistently. But I can't. So I am grateful for His promise to the Israelites - that, despite the persistency of my behaviour, "if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors..I will remember my covenant with Jacob...and I will remember the land...I will not reject them or abhor them...I am the Lord their God."
Thank you once again, dear God, that the certainty of your mercy and grace is greater than the persistency of my sinfulness.
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