12-9-2017

Good Morning All,

               Ecclesiastes 12:13; “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.^”   

         So what are we supposed to do?  This is a question that gets asked often.  Sometimes it is asked when a group of people get together to help a neighbor who is sick.  They gather together to do a needed task; it might be a group of farmers to plant or harvest; it might be a group who gathers to paint a house or fix windows.  It is just a group of people who gather together to help someone else out.  Sometimes these events are spontaneously planned.   Everyone shows up at an agreed upon time and date.  Everyone looks around and then ask, “What are we supposed to do?”  Eventually, things get worked out and the action gets done.

    So what do I do?  We may ask that in regards to our faith as well.  One day, we suddenly hear God’s Word.  We can hear his words of forgiveness as the exact thing we need to hear.  We may even feel as though a weight has been lifted from our shoulders.  Our sinful desire has been replaced with the desire of God’s Spirit.  Now what do we do?  Some think they have this long list of actions to perform.  Some think that a payment is required.  Some think they are now required to behave a certain way or talk a certain way or change into someone they are not.  They think that “thees” and “thous” are the new norm. 

     The truth for many of us is that our life may not seem that much different.  We will have the same job, the same friends, the same family.  We will still owe on our credit cards and house payments.  On the outside, it may not seem like much change but on the inside we change.  We may still do much of the same things in life but we have a different motive and a different purpose.  Our desire is to love God and to live that love and to show that love.  Our new found purpose is simple; fear God and keep his commandments. 

    We fear God by respecting Him and giving him and his name honor.  We do this by keeping his name holy, separate from the lowly uses.  We do not cheapen it with a carelessness in the specialness of his name but rather we cherish it for what it is, the name of the One who brings us hope, healing, comfort and peace.  We keep his commandments by doing his will which is to show love and compassion on those around us; by showing this love and compassion to those who are hurting and in need.  We do this because of his great love for us; we do it as a form of thank you to God.  That is all we really do; we say thank you to God for all he does for us.  We show our thanks by how we live and how we deal with others.

Father, your love for us is beyond our measure or understanding.  Help me to show my thanks for your precious gift of salvation.  Help me to experience the joy of your healing and to share that great joy with those that you have placed on my journey that I may share your love with them.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret