Thursday,
July 27, 2023
Your laws are wonderful. No wonder
I obey them! The teaching of
your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. I pant with expectation, longing for
your commands. Come and show
me your mercy, as you do for all who love your name. Guide my steps
by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil. Psalm 119:129-133
Laws are meant to be broken! So goes the twisted thinking of the outlaw. Yet, those who perceive themeselves as
uniquely qualified to judge the laws of God and man do not realize (or perhaps
they do not care) that by ignoring how the Sovereign Lord has designed life to
be a blessing, they are storing up misery for themselves, and anyone who will
follow their lead. Jesus, speaking to
religious leaders who were largely hypocritical imposters, said they looked like
big shots, parading around in their expensive robes, but on the inside they
were lawbreakers; their hearts were set on their own will, not God’s:
Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly
your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:28
The “law” the Psalmist characterized as “wonderful” was
what we commonly call the Ten Commandments[1]. What makes them
so wonderful is the power they contain to make life wonderful and a blessing to
all who live within their parameters.
Consider the outcome when we live God’s way:
1.
No other gods – Life is better with focus…not a
thousand different gods.
2.
Worship God, not what He has created – again focus…worship
only God.
3.
Keep God’s name holy – think of life without Hollywood’s
profanity!
4.
Sabbath reserved for worship – we often forget
important stuff. A routine that includes
worship guards against slipping-away from good living.
5.
Honor father & mother – what you do is what you’ll
also receive…honor.
6.
Do not murder – would our lives be better off with less
homicide?
7.
Do not commit adultery – wouldn’t trust be better than
constant suspicion?
8.
Do not steal – would life be better if we could do
without locks on things?
9.
No false witness – if truth reigned, the courts would
be empty.
10. No greed for
what’s not yours – would life be simpler if we were people of glad contentment –
both for what we have, and glad for what our neighbor has worked for?
Now that’s the short list of benefit tracks that could
make life much sweeter. There could be volumes
written on all the side benefits associated with living like God designed
it. But the chief benefit of
all is being able to approach God at any time of day with
confidence that your prayers will be heard with Heaven’s favor. The value of having an up-to-the-minute
relationship with the King of the Universe is eternal joy. Knowing He loves you is wonderful, but sensing
His presence, because your heart is clean before Him is abundance in all that
makes life worthwhile.
For You Today
My morning prayer,
every morning tracks with the Psalmist’s thought:
Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil.
I want that more than life itself.
If in this moment it was possible for you to have
a house valued at $5-million, and a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce, $3-billion in
the bank, and be elected President of the United States – OR
an up-to-the-minute, intimate friendship with God, which
would you choose?
You chew on that as you
hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!
There are about 2,600 devotional
posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.
Title Image: via Pixabay.com Images without citation are in public domain. Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT©
