Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Living for the Weekend?

"In the morning you shall say, 'Oh, that it were evening!' And at the evening you shall say, 'Oh, that it were morning!' because of the fear which terrifies your heart, and because of the sight which your eyes see" Deuteronomy 28:67

This verse is a part of the curses that the Lord promised to Israel if they did not continue in the Love and the remembrance of the Lord and His word. At the heart of the Law was always the core tenet: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength." This is the same commandment that Jesus affirmed as the greatest commandment of the law in Matthew 22:37-38. It was the very heart of what Israel was to be about.

We in the church age do not live under the principle of Law, but rather the principle of Grace. Deuteronomy gives Israel a list of physical blessings if they keep the law and curses if they fail to keep the Law. In the church, under grace, we find that we are already blessed with every spiritual blessing and our actions grow naturally out of our unity and fellowship with God through Christ. Yet, there is a principle and an indirect application that we can derive from the verse we are looking at today.

Many Christians seem to live in this constant attitude of "Oh, that it were morning" and "Oh, that it were evening" and this is not the life that Christ has for us. Our abundant spiritual blessings in Christ, right here and right now, preclude that our lives should be lives of thankfulness and praise. Even our trials and suffering are matters for the deepest thanksgiving. When we are under divine discipline we can be thankful that our Father will not let us live lives that are separated from Him. When we experience the trials that are not divine discipline we are to rejoice knowing that trials are the tool by which God is conforming us to the image of Christ!

In an often-quoted passage of Paul we get a great command: "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4) Each day, each morning and evening, is a time to rejoice in the Lord. Each day is a day to be thankful for all that He has done for us. Each day is a day wherein we are to stand in the victory that Christ won or us at the cross. Praise the Lord for all He has done for us in Christ Jesus Our Lord, that in every situation we can say that we too have "learned in whatever state I am, to be content..."

1 comment:

  1. Great words, Brad! I love you! I'll miss you! I'll see you when we return! BIG HUG!

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