8-5-2015

Good Morning All!!

          Psalm 40:8; “I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

      One of the more difficult elements of our faith oftentimes is the Law, God’s Law, specifically.  One of the reasons is because of the word “law” which is an imprecise word to use.  For most of us the word “law” has connotations that are not good.  It bothers us because it impinges on freedom.  The “law” requires me to do things; I have to pay taxes, drive a certain way, do certain things, to refrain from doing certain things; the “law” serves as a control and most of us do not like control.  Yet if we find the proper understanding, we might find it to be different.

     When the psalmist speaks of law here, the actual word used is “Torah” which we can understand as aiming or pointing out the path like with your finger.  So you can envision God pointing out the path or the direction that is the best way to go.  So we can really look at this “Torah” as giving us the guidance and direction in the best way to live in order to achieve contentment, peace and happiness.

    Originally, this was written in the heart and mind of Adam and Eve.  Sin clouded the view and led mankind to think that there was a better path than the one that God had laid out.  It was this desire to seek our own path that leads us to destroy our neighbor, to destroy creation, to seek own selfish goals and desires.  Anytime you find yourself saying, “I don’t care what happens to him”; you are taking the wrong path and you are going against God’s design.  God designed us to care for each other; God’s will is that we take care of each other.  This is God’s law.  It is often expressed as “love one another” or “love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

    The person who has God’s law in his heart, who desires to go the path and direction that God aims is the person who has the greatest contentment in life.  The person who follows God’s will has the greatest peace.  Yes, we will fail but our desire is still to do God’s will.  We may flounder but we still strive to follow the aim and direction of God’ pointing.  It is here that we will have peace and contentment.  We may wonder if we can or should do more but on the whole we are happy where we are.

    We can know God’s will by reading his Word and following his direction.  This direction is to love one another, care for one another, care for the creation and to live a life that brings praise and glory to God.  Our life is best lived when these are our core drives which grow out of our faith in God’s promise and out of the forgiveness which we enjoy because of Christ and his sacrifice for us.

Father, teach me to love your law.  Lead me to seek your will, to follow your aim and to continue on the path of righteousness that you plan out ahead of me.  Grant me the desire to live your will in all that I do and say.  Give me the courage to love those whom you place in the path of my journey.  Lead me to share your grace with boundless zeal.  In the precious name of Jesus I pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret