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Thoughts on Today’s Verse…
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said years ago that grace had become cheapened. I wonder what he would say today? I’m all for grace, but I’m horrified at the cost by which it came — Jesus’ death on the cross. I can’t for the life of me understand how we can so often claim to have received it and yet bear no resemblance in character to Jesus, the one who brought it to us at such a high cost. God’s Word through Samuel is a harsh one. Yet, it is one that I believe we must include in our triumphant song of grace. You see, true grace changes us. It will make us gracious and more like the Grace-giver himself. If not, what we call grace is impotent, powerless, and false. Paul called this a form of religion that denied God’s true power in us (2 Timothy 3:5). Grace should lead us to become like Jesus (Luke 6:40; Colossians 1:28-29) in his righteous character, gracious compassion, and love-based justice (Philippians 2:1-8). Let’s return obedience to the pantheon of virtues and rescue it from the attic of our religious past and our current disregard for God’s way in our lives, as shown by our disobedience (Matthew 7:12-29).
My Prayer…
Father, I know you are disappointed with my sin, yet your grace still flows and covers me. Father, I NEVER want to presume on that grace or cheapen it with reckless sin and disobedience. You know the deepest struggles of my character and the things I only want to “kinda give up.” So, please work your perfection in me through the Holy Spirit, conforming me to be more and more like my Savior Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen.
Bible References
15 But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.
1 Samuel 12:15
But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against His commands, His hand will be against you, as it was against your ancestors.
God expects His children to obey Him, pure and simple. When we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, a change took place in our hearts (2 Corinthians 5:17). No longer are we to be controlled by satan, but by God who has saved us and made us His children through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
While we as children of God would say that we desire to obey Him, do our daily lives indeed show that we purpose to obey God?
Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love Me, obey My commands.”
We can say we love Jesus until we are blue in the face, but if our lives do not show that we love Jesus by obeying God’s Word, then our words are empty and hollow!
We will still sin after we are born again, but do we make a PRACTICE of sinning? It all comes down to the purpose in our heart. God knows our hearts and He knows when we are diligently seeking Him, He knows when we are purposing to live a life of obedience to Him, and when we are not.
As God’s children, if we are living a life of sinful ways, God is a good and loving Parent and He will bring discipline down on our lives to bring us back to Him!
Hebrews 12:5-6
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.”
This reminds me of my childhood. My parents loved me very much and were good and godly parents. When I disobeyed them, there were, shall we say, unpleasant consequences! They didn’t discipline me because they hated me, to the contrary, they did so because of their love for me! I had to learn to obey those in authority over me for my own good. They knew what was best for me and I needed to learn to trust their wisdom in life. It is the very same with God. With God, however, He is perfect and incapable of making any mistakes. When He calls us to live in obedience to Him, we know that it is to make us a more mature Christian, to bring us into the life that He wants for us, and to give us peace and joy in the process!
Lord help us to obey God’s Word in our lives, to show the world His love, and to trust God that He always does those things that are for our good.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to shed His blood for my sin. Thank You for giving us Your Word to teach us how to live a life that is in obedience to You. Help me to follow You each day and to live a life that pleases You. I love You so Abba, and give You all praise, honor, and glory this day, Amen!