Deuteronomy 28.1 1 If you fully obey the Lord your God
and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will
set you high above all the nations on earth.
Today, I read Deuteronomy 28 and 29 concerning the
blessings of keeping God’s laws and the curses for disobedience. Today, I saw
that the blessings were immense and the curses were vast. Today, I saw the
difference between legal obedience: if you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I
give you today… and loving obedience: If you keep my commands, you will remain
in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
(John 15.10).
The other thing I saw was that though the commands and
laws of God were to be carefully and diligently obeyed, they were always tempered with
love and respect: Hear, O Israel: The
Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6.4-5) But the
Law was never completely obeyed and I’m sure the blessings turned into curses…
until...
Until Jesus lived a life of total obedience and showed us,
by the power and presence of God, there was only legal obedience – at least for
the Jews. But when Jesus came and live and died and resurrected, He showed us that
we can too: through Him. Jesus turned legal obedience into loving obedience.
Jesus loved (loves) the Father and because He loves and trusts the Father
directives and (dare we say) motives.
And I think that is really where obedience finds
its foundation: in love. Jesus loves the Father unconditionally; and the Father
loves Jesus in the same manner. Jesus loves us unconditionally but says, if you
love Me, you’ll obey me. Obeying Jesus means we love and trust Him.
O Jesus, may I love You more. May I drop my charade of
love trying to mask my selfishness and disobedience to Your will. It’s as
simple as denying the request of a lover or spouse when I turn my back on what
You ask. I know my behavior is not conditional, but I do know my love for You
is fulfilled when I simply answer Yes, to Your requests. O Jesus, may I love
You more.
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