Adore

by Eileen Thugi | Jan 23, 2021 | Blog

Unchanging love

11 Kings of the earth and all people: princes and all judges of the earth; 12  both young men and maidens, old men and children, 13 let them praise The Name of The Lord, for His Name alone is exalted. His Glory is above the earth and heaven (Psalm 148).

How we express love and honor for a loved one will differ from others. We love our children more than we love our nieces and nephews; we honor our spouses much differently than our friends or siblings. There are those we love and those we adore. When it comes to our adoration for someone, there’s no question they hold a special place in our lives—our love is unwavering. Regardless of what we go through, we are bound by an unbroken union and steadfast love.

18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” 20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and The Lord has taken away. Blessed be The Name of The Lord.” 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong (Job 1).

Job was a man who was upright and righteous in his time. He would offer God sacrifices for each of his seven sons after they caroused; peradventure they may have cursed God in their revelry. Satan approached God with a request—challenge Job’s faithfulness to God. He posited that Job was faithful to God, because he was blessed and protected. So God allowed Satan to take away what was dear to Job, but to not lay a hand on him. In one day, Job lost his wealth and children. Yet, he still worshiped God. 

God deserves our highest adoration. He gives us our loved ones, forgives us, loves us, and blesses our lives with many good things. This level of adoration we see in Job didn’t come from all the good things God did for him. No. It came from the knowledge of Who God is. Adoration isn’t based on what God does, but Who He is. So whether He gives or takes, it doesn’t change Who God is—He is Love. We don’t adore others because of what they give us, but who they are. We love and respect those who are caring, loving and dependable. But unlike others, God doesn’t make mistakes, or fail us. At best, He is always the same, our Loving Father. 

Job understood that apart from God’s Goodness, he was destitute: He didn’t own anything, not even his children; they all belonged to God. God gives and takes away, because it is all His to give as He pleases. So as Job, we are to worship in loss, pain, and sorrow. We should adore God and bless His Name, because He gave, in the first place. He is fully acquainted with every aspect of our lives, because He is the Giver of life, and everything pertaining to it.

In all circumstances, do not sin by complaining. Let God know how hurt and disappointed you are by the trials you face; but do so in reverence and worship. He is the only refuge that will not fail you. So why not worship with the confidence we have in Him? What expectation do you have of God in trying times? He is Loving, Merciful and Faithful. Adore The One Who Loves you more than anyone. He can’t help but be Who He is, and that is why we adore Him. God will not go against His Character. For Job and us, when adversity comes, our loyalty will be tested. Is it God we love more? or people and stuff? Anyone who feels pressed to choose has not fully been convinced of Who God is. 

10  But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. 11  My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His Way and not turned aside. 12  I have not departed from the Commandment of His Lips; I have treasured the Words of His Mouth, more than my necessary food. 13  “But He is unique, and who can make Him change? And whatever His Soul desires, that He does. 14  For He performs what is appointed for me, and many such things are with Him (Job 23).”

Though at times Job felt like he should have never been born to see his fate, disquieted by his suffering, he chose to refocus his attention to a positive outcome. Job’s friends were of little to no comfort. They accused him of bringing misfortune on himself, because they believed he had sinned against God. Job was at a low ebb and had no one; not even his wife offered him solace. He meditated on the perfection of God—His Wisdom and Perfect Will. Job zeroed in on what God was going to do in his life, knowing that God would perform what He desired. Would a Loving God desire to harm us, when we are in the doldrums?

God will refine us in the furnace of affliction. He will remove the dross—the attributes that defile us, if and only if we hang on every Word He instructs us to do. His Words are more valuable than the short-lived pleasures that slightly comfort and then fizzle out. We esteem the words of those we adore as valuable. With our ears perked up, we should tune out all the negative thoughts of our heart and relish every Word God speaks to us. Whatever He has appointed for us, in the place of adversity, He will perform it according to His desire for us. But we must see what we can become in the Hands of our Creator—refined like gold. 

21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient times? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, The Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A Just God and A Savior; There is none besides Me. 22  “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I Am God, and there is no other. 23  I have sworn by Myself; The Word has gone out of My Mouth in righteousness, and shall not return; that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath (Isaiah 45).“

Bring your case before the Lord because He is Just. Wear your heart on your sleeves, and don’t hold back on how you truly feel. He will listen and will answer in righteousness. He will not answer in anger. He will save those who look to Him for deliverance; He is The Savior. Adore on your knees, before the only True God. Train your tongue to declare your reverence and awe for God, in the good and bad times. Though we may not understand our circumstances, He does. He knows the end from the beginning, and He is unmatched in Power and Wisdom. 

Now is a good time as any to adore The Lord. If we can’t adore Him in the trials and afflictions, we will be hard-pressed to do so when things are peachy. When we worship Him in uncertain times, we profess our devotion to Him. He is worthy of the highest praise, because He will not fail us. He gives and takes away; He does what He desires for us according to His Love and Purpose.

Those who adore in pain and afflictions, are those who love God at all times. No matter what happens, we can still trust that His Character will not betray us. God is unmatched in perfection. Rest assured that in every place we set our feet; in every situation we find ourselves, He is Good and worth our adoration. We can choose to adore Him, or cast aspersions on His motives. Loyalty is put to the test in unsettling times—a wilderness place, if you will. Who we listen to during those moments will influence our thinking and attitude. We can choose to be bitter, bewail our inadequacies, or we can cling to God, and be receptive to what He can do. If we adore Him, we will submit to Him, and keep ourselves from the temptation to disobey and sin. Don’t give the Enemy an opportunity to use your trials to create a rift between you and God.

6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. 7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His Hand. Today, if you will hear His Voice: 8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 when your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work (Psalm 95).“

Reconcile

by Eileen Thugi | Jan 16, 2021 | Blog

Offer the olive branch.

¹⁸ “I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself: ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, like an untrained bull. Restore me, and I will return, for You are The Lord my God. ¹⁹ Surely, after my turning, I repented; And after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, because I bore the reproach of my youth (Jeremiah 31).’

When trying to patch things up with someone we have had a heated disagreement with, we should endeavor to put the past behind us. If we want to move on, we will start by forgiving any past offenses. We take the bold step of fessing up to our own mistakes, by seeking forgiveness. When both parties desire to salvage a relationship, they should only look to the past to address issues and aspire to do better. The hardest part of reconciliation is letting go of the past. We should try to change our negative attributes, to those which will foster a good relationship. God offers us a new beginning with a better relationship with Him.

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5).

If God was in Christ reconciling us to Himself, He was the one taking the initiative to restore a broken relationship. He is willing to wipe the slate clean, so that we have an unbroken fellowship. Only love can fight to keep a relationship from falling apart. Even after hurt and sorrow, love is willing to see a future of restoration and peace. We were not innocent of our sins. Christ paid the debt we couldn’t pay. God instead, offered up His Son to take our sins upon Himself. We exchange our sinful nature for Christ’s Life and we become a new creation—forgiven and justified. It doesn’t matter how dreadful our past sins were; in Christ the old is gone, and we are made new by His Life in us. 

4  Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. 6 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).

Be reconciled to God and start a new relationship, as one who is in The Son. No one can have a relationship with God, The Father, until they are a child of God. He is an Everlasting Father to The Son, and only in Christ do we become His children. Now all things in our lives become avenues for God, so that our new life is pleasing to God. Our interactions, routines and desires are channels to love God and others.

Reconciliation engenders a different approach that sustains a relationship. The first and difficult step to take is to stop reminding others of their offenses. We should not be dredging up our own past mistakes. We should accept others’ willingness to fess up and apologize. God will not rebuff a humble and contrite longing for change, and reconciliation. Others can not be convinced of A God of Grace, when we are unwilling to show them clemency.

11  For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His Mercy toward those who fear Him. 12  As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13  As a father pities his children, so The Lord pities those who fear Him. 14  For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust(Psalm 103).

God has already forgiven us in Christ, but He wants us to repent. If He has already forgiven, then why would He need us to repent? Repentance is an acknowledgement that we have sinned; we have been rebellious, and are willing to make a clean breast of things, because we love Him. We repent because we want to be reconciled by love and grace. It doesn’t just fall on God to draw us to Himself, as if He owes it to us; it is up to us to want the same relationship He wants—an unbroken relationship, established by an everlasting Covenant. Reconciliation can only be achieved when two agree. If a marriage is on the brink of collapse, yet a husband and wife each desire to mend fences, it will not fail. If they both admit culpability, with a dogged-determination to do better, they will undoubtedly support each other. 

Christ will give us the support we need as long as we are earnest to remain one with Him. He understands that we are frail, and bound to keep failing. He is compassionate and merciful to those who love and fear Him. He is An Authority Greater than the government, boss or parent; yet, while He commands respect and honor, He still abounds in Love. He is Holy and Just to repay us according to our deeds. He is not like people who hold on to a grudge, and continue in bitterness. We often want others to get the full brunt of justice for what they do against us. Not so with God; He is abounding in Mercy and prefers leniency for those who repent.

8 The Lord is Merciful and Gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in Mercy. 9  He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. 10  He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities (Psalm 103).

You see, mercy and grace give others what they don’t deserve, when they have wronged us. Grace takes away the painful guilt that separates loved ones. Guilt can keep others from reaching out, because they fear the response of the one they have offended. As God remembers our frame—we are weak and imperfect, we should remember to not put too high an expectation of others. They need mercy just as much as we do. Easier said than done, right? God is our avenger; He deals with those who harm us, better than we can. If they want to patch things up, we should put aside any malice or bitterness to revenge, by forgiving them. God doesn’t deal with us according to what we deserve, so we should not take a higher position than His, by withholding mercy. 

21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him Who judges righteously; 24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own Body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (1 Peter 2).

We were called to follow after the example that Christ set for us: We should not live our lives willfully in sin. Sin puts a rift between us and God. He is not the one who does us wrong, we are the ones who disobey. We should uphold the truth and be willing to suffer to defend it. By submitting ourselves to the overseer of our souls, we should not return evil for evil when others offend us, but we should let God judge them. Finally, we need to  be reconciled to God when we sin or wrong others, so that we live righteously before God and our fellow mankind. 

Our Lord and God is Merciful; He wants us to return and be made whole in a relationship of love and grace. We must repent and see the error of our ways. If we love Him, we will do whatever is necessary to maintain our union and fellowship with Him. He forgives and forgets the past. He wants to teach us about Himself and His Righteousness, so that we grow in the knowledge of  Him and become compatible. Our relationship with God will affect our relationship with others, especially in the area of reconciliation. He has made us one in His Son, Our Lord Jesus, so that we are new in His Likeness. He is our Redeemer, Who calls us to return and be reconciled to Him. Nothing good comes out of guilt; but alienation, sorrow and fear of judgement. He is our hope to an abundant life and one that is lived in peace with Him. 

12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says The Lord; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am Merciful,’ says The Lord; ‘I will not remain angry forever. 13  Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against The Lord your God, and have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ says The Lord. 14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says The Lord; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. 15 And I will give you shepherds according to My Heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding (Jeremiah 3).

Proceed

by Eileen Thugi | Jan 6, 2021 | Blog

Keep moving forward.

When you set your sights on a goal, get the guidance you need and take the necessary steps toward accomplishing it. Have a plan, use the resources you have at your disposal, and get started, before the sands run out. If you linger and ponder long too long, other issues will come up, and you may start to second-guess yourself. Don’t let procrastination keep you in stagnation. Pray for God’s Wisdom to guide your every step, and put your trust in God; your abilities are no match for His. Acknowledge your limitations, do what is in your capacity to accomplish, as you trust God to handle what you can’t control. 

55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.” 56 And he said to them, “Do not hinder me, since The Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.” 57 So they said, “We will call the young woman and ask her personally.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go (Genesis 24).”

Abraham’s servant went to his master’s country to find a wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac. Abraham had assured him that God would send an angel ahead of him to prosper him, so that his servant would return with the woman who would be betrothed to Isaac. Abraham’s servant had sought God to make a way; he asked for a sign to confirm which woman he would bring back to Isaac. Everything worked like clockwork. This is where the passage picks up. Abraham’s servant was convinced that God had shown him favor and he was not going to wait for human confirmation. He worshiped God through every open door and trusted Him at every turn. He was not going to allow Laban, Rebekah’s brother, nor her mother to get the final say.

When God has prospered your way, pull out all the stops to complete what you have begun. He is The One who causes you to advance, so He should not be undermined by naysayers. In the face of opposition, put one foot in front of the other and don’t waver. Rebekah’s brother and mother decided to ask her if she was willing to go with Abraham’s servant. She was unequivocal about her decision to go. Why? Because God had already prepared her for Isaac. God has a way of persuading people and moving them in His direction. Nothing can hinder us, unless we allow it. Like Abraham’s servant we must keep in lockstep with God.

9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the Word of God among them (Acts 18).

If we are in God’s Will, doing His Work, we are in good company. He is always with those He has called for His Purpose. He will not forsake us. We should not fear people’s response to us, or their criticism. The Lord commands us, as He did Paul, to stick it out with boldness. He has gone before us and worked out all the details; even enlisted others who He has on standby, to assist us in a pinch. Speak and do what The Lord has ordained you to do. He will manifest Himself through and through, so that no one can stand against Him. Keep a stiff upper lip against opposition, and don’t flee out of fear. Hold firm in God’s Strength, and complete what He began through you. 

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26).”

Sometimes we have to put the needs of others ahead of ours, as a motivation to go forward, to do something we don’t want to. If it is God’s Will for us, we should put aside our feelings. It is impossible to do God’s Will on our terms. As The Son of God, Christ had to succumb to what His Father had called Him to do—endure The Father’s Judgement, on behalf of the world—an excruciating death on The Cross. Christ was saddled with all the sin of the world; without the human strength to carry it, yet He offered up Himself in obedience, to do God’s Will. 

Mercy and Love gave Him the strength to bear all the pain, suffering and sorrow. He had no one to comfort or support Him. His disciples were fast asleep when they should have been praying for Him—when He needed them most. There are burdens that we may carry for others that no one is willing to carry with us. Our loved ones may start off well, with empathy and then they may move on to meet their own needs. We might get exhausted, but we should not give in and quit on those who need us. If we bear them up alone, we must do it in the strength that God gives us. Just as Christ suffered for us, sinners, we should try to give hope to the broken; show mercy, and be patient with those who sap joy and energy out of us. The Holy Spirit must overcome our flesh—our desires and emotions, to keep us from losing ground. We can only do what is right by doing God’s Will. How we feel is often at odds with what God would have us do. Don’t let your feelings override your spirit’s willingness to obey God.

17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of The Lord, Who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for The Lord is with you (2 Chronicles 20).”

King Jehosaphat and the people of Judah and Jerusalem heard that the people of Moab and Ammon were saber rattling, to displace them out of their land. God speaking through a prophet gave them clear instructions to go forward and face their enemies. The people of Moab and Ammon would not be fighting against the people of Judah, but against their God, Who had settled them in the land. 

You are not where you are by coincidence, as long as you are the child of The Most High God. No one can take what God has rightfully given you, just as He gave the children of Israel the land of Canaan. You must position yourself in prayer and put your confidence in the Commander of Heaven’s Mighty Armies. Stand still in your confidence in God, Who is in the front line. Your enemies have to go through Him first before they can get to you. With optimism and gusto, go out against those who come against you, because the battle is no longer yours but The Lord’s. He is with you and you will not need to fight. Go in the Presence of God, and let Him assure those who oppose you that He is your God and you are His. Don’t be dismayed about what others want to take from you, when God has already given it to you. Go forward with praise and faith in God’s Strength.

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. 2  I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3  I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram departed as The Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran (Genesis 12). 

God commanded Abram to leave the place He knew, grew up and was settled in, at seventy-five years of age; to go to a place he had never seen or been before. Are you willing to leave where you are familiar with, to go where God calls you? Abram left his father’s house and set out to the land God would show him, without questioning God. God made Abram a promise; that He would bless him and make him great, while prospering him along the way. 

Go and see what God has for you. Don’t be afraid to take risks. If God has a plan for you, it will not be to your detriment. You may have to leave what you are familiar with, to go where you have not been before. Take a leap of faith and surrender your fears to God. It doesn’t matter how old you are; new beginnings have no age limit. Seek and depend on God to orchestrate the next chapter of your life.

14 For as many as are led by The Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received The Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8).

“And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” We have a portion of Abram’s blessings, since we are part of all the families of the earth. This is exciting news! We are blessed through the seed of Abram, The Lord Jesus Christ, Who hailed from the tribe of Judah, and a descendant of Abraham. We are blessed sons and daughters of God, who live through The Son of God. So, leave the world of comforts and its familiarity, and enter into the promise of Eternal Life in Christ Jesus. Forsake your old ways and go to the place where God will show you. The Name, Jesus, is The Greatest Name by which every child of God is called, in the Kingdom of God. Forget your past sin, failures and lifestyle, and be led by The Spirit of God into the place of Eternal Blessings.

There’s a reward for effort, diligence and the commitment to finish well. It may take time to see the fruit of our labor, but one day we will reap the benefits. God has always promised to fight for us as long as we keep advancing in obedience. He is our God and Father, and in Christ Jesus, we have all the promises and blessings to keep us in His Providence. We must put aside our feelings, fears and worldly desires, to gain what God has attained for us. We will suffer for our calling to serve Him, as we care for others along the way. We will also be greeted with opposition.

The Spirit of Christ will bear us up; He is our strength and victory. We must keep going forward, by doing His Will on earth as it is heaven, being willing to leave comfortable and familiar places, and go to where He has called us, into His Kingdom. Life on earth is a wilderness of uncertainties, battles, struggles and hardships, coupled with God’s Presence along the way. We will not need to fight with human abilities, God is giving us the territories that His enemies have occupied. We have Eternal Life in Christ Jesus; we are well endowed to get to the place of Eternal Blessings. 

“Hear, O Israel: You are to cross over the Jordan today, and go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than yourself, cities great and fortified up to heaven, 2 a people great and tall, the descendants of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom you heard it said, ‘Who can stand before the descendants of Anak?’ 3 Therefore understand today that The Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as The Lord has said to you.

4 “Do not think in your heart, after The Lord your God has cast them out before you, saying, ‘Because of my righteousness The Lord has brought me in to possess this land’; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that The Lord is driving them out from before you (Deuteronomy 9)”.

Steadfast

by Eileen Thugi | Dec 19, 2020 | Blog

Stick to the script.

Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. ² And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you (2 Chronicles 15).

Though we are free to do what we want, we are bound by a set of beliefs and principles. There’s a creed that most people live by, passed down through generations. Our convictions keep us from compromising who we are. In the face of opposition or pressure, we can stand firm and act in good conscience. Each person, family or organization is defined by principles that they hold; faith, respect, human dignity, honesty, love, and the list goes on. They are willing to make sacrifices to ensure that their integrity is kept, for future generations.

28 Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God; their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding— 29 these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law, which was given by Moses the servant of God. And to observe and do all the commandments of The Lord our Lord, and His ordinances and His statutes (Nehemiah 10).

The children of Israel had to separate themselves from the other nations around them, to have their own identity. They were knit together by The Law of God; which they made an oath to keep and uphold. This was the framework for their marriages, their households, and their service to God and others. There’s no nation without laws.

Being set apart from others who don’t share the same values is the first step to being set apart for God. It requires submitting to God in obedience, and not trying to keep up with the world’s standards. We can’t live outside the world, but we can apply God’s Ways to how we live in it. God didn’t create a separate earth for His people; He settled them among others. The Lord Jesus didn’t come to take us out of this world; but to teach us how to live for The Father in it. 

We enter into a covenant relationship with God to observe and do as He has instructed us, according to His Word. Our allegiance to Him, as His children, is an oath to walk in His Ways. Our lives should be defined by a steadfast resolve to live by godly principles. We have to pass down to our children the values that make up our identity in Christ. Every sphere of our influence should be governed by God’s Laws, that keep us unified with others, as The Body of Christ. Just as every state or nation operates by its separate laws, we have God’s Commandments that are our guiding principles . 

34 When He slew them, then they sought Him; and they returned and sought earnestly for God. 35  Then they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer. 36  Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied to Him with their tongue; 37  For their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His Covenant. 38  But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His Wrath (Psalm 78).

As the children of Israel received God’s Goodness, they began to be obstinate and rebellious. When they broke their covenant with Him, He destroyed them. Before making a pledge to God, remember He is not man to toy with. He is not fooled by flattery, when everything is going hunky-dory. He does His Good Will for His People because of Who He is—Holy and Good. Let your heart be steadfast with Him by remembering Who He is. Never forget that God is the making of your success and downfall. He is The Most High God just as He is still The Redeemer. He forgives those who repent of their transgressions, because of His Compassion and Mercy. He relents on His Anger, when we earnestly seek Him. 

16 Thus says The Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ 17  Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not listen (Jeremiah 6).’

The latest fads are not as new as people think. Ideas come from past experiences that are improved to meet present needs. Unlike humans, who change their mind on a whim, God is unchanging. The Creator of the universe holds everything in order by His Wisdom. The old paths of God are not old at all; they are good ways that we can walk in today, for generations to come. We can trust in His time-tested Truth that can be applied to every area of our lives. Those who refuse to heed, are warned to return back to His Ways. The path to rest and peace is the way that always leads to God. Walk steadfastly in the path God has already curved out; that has been there since the beginning of creation. 

17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one title will by no means pass from the Law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5).

The Law of God has always been the guide for godly living. It has existed since the beginning of early generations, and will outlive the universe. It is the trademark for The Kingdom of God and all of Its citizens. The Son of God came to fulfill the Law by obeying it. How much more the children of God? Know it by heart and delight in it. Christ didn’t come to destroy God’s Law, He came to teach us, as He had taught Israel; to love God with all our being and love our neighbors as ourselves. 

34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22).”

The Law of Love fulfills the righteousness in Christ. Made a new creation for The Kingdom, we must adorn ourselves with the image of Christ. We are warned to do and teach others to observe The Law of God. Just as the children of Israel had the Law given by Moses, we must abide by The Law that Christ fulfilled. 

We have to be clearheaded about the choices that shape our lives. God has given us His Instructions, Commandments and The Holy Spirit to guide and keep us from paths of destruction. We must first be set apart for Him and be wholly submitted to Him. The wisdom we gain from obedience protects us from temptation and enables us to enjoy an eternal relationship with our God. He furnishes us with every good gift that’s life-enhancing and lavishes us with His Grace, when we acknowledge our sin. He is Good and is The Most High God.

We are His children who have been endowed with principles and values that make up our identity in Christ. We have to be steadfast to love God with all our being, and love our neighbor as ourselves. Every area of our life will be impacted by our steadfast heart for godliness. We belong to The Kingdom of God; and here on earth we are bearing our identity as children of God. 

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His Own Will He brought us forth by the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures (James 1).