Obedience and blessings

Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ Yet the Lord God of Israel chose me from all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For he chose Judah as leader, and in the house of Judah my father’s house, and among my father’s sons he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. He said to me, ‘It is Solomon your son who shall build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he continues strong in keeping my commandments and my rules, as he is today.’ Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever. (1 Chronicles 28:2–8)

David was the king and yet forbidden to built the house of the Lord. As king, this seemed out of line. Yet even though it was on his heart, God said NO and David was okay with that. He accepted his lot in life and obeyed God. His response to this is remarkable.

Not only that, he turned it into sound advice for others, telling them to obey God because that is key to the good life for ourselves and our children. Most humans try to make that good life happen by our own efforts, but…

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Running my life my way will lead to misery because my own way is sin. Why is it so easy to believe Satan when he whispers “God does not want the best for you” and forget that He died for me that I might have an abundant life and the ability to live His way?

This week I told my pastor that God gave me an easily distracted mind for a reason, not that I would be distracted from the truth but that I would need to constantly read it from His word because that is the only way I can remember it. I accept my weakness because He uses it for good.

Jesus, I am thankful for my mother’s mantra, “We must need it or we wouldn’t be getting it.” It is a biblical attitude that put the idea in my heart to accept whatever You and life throw at me, and to look for Your good reasons for letting things happen. You DO want the best for me, even when it comes as an unpleasant trial to prompt a heart search. Thank You, thank You.

 

 

Laying Down the Law?

I woke up thinking about rules. My role in a non-profit organization is that of governance, meaning I’m supposed to make sure everything is done according to their rules. I keep telling them they picked the wrong person. I’m not interested in “do not do . . .” rules as much as “do this” statements that enable the membership to be creative in their duties.

This is biblical. Even the OT with all its laws and commandments has many positive ‘rules’ about how to behave. When Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37–40) He was giving those who heard Him the freedom to express the love of God and others in varying ways. Love is not necessarily about “Do not cook on the Sabbath” or “Speak softly to the elderly.”

Of course, “Do not murder” and “Do not steal” is part of God’s law of love, yet so are many other things. The Jewish religious leaders came up with more than six hundred more rules, putting a heavy burden on the people. I look at the thick binder of bylaws, policies, and procedures and hear a new rule formed at almost every meeting and feel that same kind of burden. Not only that, the negative do-not rules are still broken. The people need a different goal than being told what to avoid.

Of course, the gospel is the answer for righteous living and a book of “do this” rules will not make anyone godly, yet I see a difference between the appeal to do right and warnings to avoid doing wrong.

The psalms are full of both, yet mostly encourage readers to see that God’s commands are good for them, not a list of rules hanging over their heads. David wrote this: “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.” (Psalm 19:9) He wanted readers to remember that God’s rules are not lies, nor are they written to lead them into sin. Here are more descriptions of how the writer considered God’s ‘rules’ as good:

Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. (Psalm 119:89)

Therefore, I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way. (Psalm 119:128)

Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules. You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness. (Psalm 119:137–138)

Your righteousness is righteous forever, and your law is true. (Psalm 119:142)

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (Psalm 119:160)

While I would like to see the non-profit group change their laws and rules into more positive statements, I also realize that a truth about spiritual ‘rule’ may also apply to these by-laws and procedures. Jesus was talking to unregenerate people when He said this:

Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil … [who] does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. … He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason, you do not hear them, because you are not of God.” (John 8:43–47)

My pride knows that it is easy to be bound up in that “I am right” mode to the point that righteousness cannot be seen for what it is, and being positive is not helpful if motivated by catering to others, or giving them license to do whatever they please. To suggest a change in how ‘rules’ are worded may offend whoever worded them and cause more problems than it solves.

PRAY: Jesus, I just glanced at my open Bible and read this: Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep your precepts. Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. My eyes shed streams of tears because people do not keep your law. (Psalm 119:134–136) Loving You and loving others is not as easy as writing the words. You know, as I also know, that misunderstandings happen. The enemy does not want anyone, both believers and non-believers, to hear and trust You, to love truth, to love and trust one another, or to abandon all selfish reasons for trying to control everything. He lies to keep us from living positively and in godly ways. I need Your great wisdom for the assignments that fall on me!

PONDER: Some people try to please all and end up pleasing no one. I don’t want to be a people-pleaser that puts God’s will in second place. He says He will give me words to say when I need them. With these thoughts and my responsibilities as the “governance” person, I’m praying Jesus will help me be like Him rather than like a Pharisee.