Do you have trouble and anguish? We all do sometimes, I suppose. Do you find delight in God’s commandments? A commandment is a mandate – an order. There are no options here – if you are commanded to do something you either do it, or you are willfully disobeying an order. So how does being ordered to do something by God give you delight?
Well, to answer that, I think we need to look a little further. Here is what the wisest man to ever live wrote in the book of Proverbs:
The fear of the Lord teaches wisdom. Before honor is humility. (Proverbs 15:33)
Wisdom is found by knowing who you are - in God’s economy. Humility is having 'a realistic or modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance'. You are loved and very special - at the same time, you are sinful, frail and helpless. Knowing and accepting how undeserving yet treasured we are leads us to cherish God – which leads to cherishing God’s Word.
And let’s look at what God commands in His Word:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
God commands….Love! And not only commands love – but before He commanded it from us, He showed us love like we could never imagine.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
In return, He tells us to go and do the same… So yes, we delight in God’s commands. When trouble and anguish come upon you, find delight in Love!
#LoveMatters