Meditation

07/10/2020

“Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that I may go well with you and your may go in and take over the good land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers.” (Deuteronomy6:17-18)

God’s laws establish an order most outsiders recognize as wise and desirable. They meet all standards of righteousness. Humans have no reason to criticize or change God’s social order.

One who lives a godly life, meaning they are not perfect but live their lives in service to God, can expect generally a peaceable life. One goal of God’s commands and moral limits is to establish a safe, peaceful social order.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, when we first accepted You through our Lord Jesus Christ, we were filled with the Holy Spirit and sought to serve You every minute of the day. Our joy was running over and at times our emotions would do the same! As we have matured in our faith, we sometimes fail to serve as we first did and may even do so begrudgingly. Abba, we need our joy to be back at the level it was, and that our service in honor of our relationship with You might just be rekindled, our joy once again bubbly and our emotions returning to the levels that keep us going each and every day. We have not lost anything, but we need to recharge ourselves to bring everything and our service back in focus to again, honor You in all that we do and say. It is in our Lord and Savior’s name we pray. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“We may set the sail, but God makes the wind and delivers it to us.”

KNOWING GOD:

“On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.” (Leviticus23:21)

Society must have guidelines for ongoing order. God’s people provide a continuing witness through their ongoing practices. The rhythm of the calendar must provide time to work and time to celebrate the fruits of our labor which God provides.

I AM:

“Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.” (Deuteronomy30:11)

Obedience is possible. God does not set up imperatives we cannot attain. As a young man I was physically fit and able to do most things I desired to do. Today, I can still do most things, but it takes me a little longer and that is the key. Once we have made our mind up to do what it is we know we are being asked by God to do, we have to push ourselves in order to accomplish the goal at hand. Someone one once said, “If God wants me to do this, He’s going to have to help me!” A little humor, but in reality, there is nothing that we set out to do that cannot be obtained. We first pray to God, to seek His help that we might accomplish whatever it is He wants us to do. This is a relationship, my friends and this is what God ultimately wants us to do on anything. He seeks us out, to be His eyes, ears, and bodies of Him in this world. He will work through us and together, we can do some amazing things. It begins with our willingness to serve Him and together, we can do all things.

Second Thought of the Day:

Remember your neighbor might live next door or not, but if we’re in a position to help them, it is the neighborly thing to do. “Finder’s Keepers Is not a biblical attitude. We are to respect and restore property belonging to others. These are things that create a community of neighbors and not just a bunch of people.

“If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to him. If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is, take it home with you and keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back to him. Do the same if you find your brother’s donkey or his cloak or anything he loses. Do not ignore it. If you see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help him get it do its feet.” (Deuteronomy22:1–4)

The ethical cohesiveness of a community depends upon mutual respect and care of property. In the world of agriculture, this has always been a way of life. If you see your neighbor’s stock roaming around, you can bet the fence has been breached, so you simply go and find the breach and fix it. If the neighbor is already there, you help them. Someday, the shoe might be put on the other foot.