At a summer religious camp for children one of the counselors was leading a discussion on the purpose God has for all of his creation. They began to find good reasons for clouds and trees and rocks and rivers and animals and just about everything else in nature. Finally, one of the children said, “If God has a purpose for everything, then why did He create poison ivy?” The discussion leader gulped and, as he struggled with the question, one of the other children came to his rescue, saying, “The reason God made poison ivy is that He wanted us to know there are certain things we should keep our cotton-pickin’ hands off of.”
God’s Ten Commandments provide the basic moral and spiritual compass for all humanity. They tell us what we should do and what we should “keep our cotton-picking hands (and eyes) off of.” They lay the foundation for all of our laws. Our government may try to pass laws that remove any display of the Ten Commandment from government property, but to remove the commandments, would be to strike the very laws we live by out of the statutes that govern society. Could you imagine living in a society where there are no laws that prohibit murder or theft? The more we try to remove God’s laws from our lives, the more chaotic and lawless the world becomes. The state of our society today begins with the breaking of the very first of these commandments: You shall have no other gods before Me. When we take God out of the equation, only lawlessness remains. God wants to be God over all parts of our lives. When we move Him out of that position, Satan creeps in with temptations and too often, we fall into sin.
God never intended His laws to be a rigid list of rules so that life would be miserable. Instead the list is a display of His character and shows us the way to have a full and abundant life. Our greatest joy comes when we live in such a way that we show His character in all that we do and say. Since God knows our thoughts and He knows the way that each one of us naturally responds in different situations, His laws provide the means towards having healthy relationships with others and with Him.
God also knew that no human being would ever be able to keep these laws, except for His holy and righteous Son, Jesus. Still He gave them so that we would have a moral compass to follow and to show us our own sinful nature in need of a Savior. Where we err in sin, God’s grace abounds in the loving sacrifice of Jesus.
Just as with our governmental laws, where a law is broken there are consequences, so there is a consequence with breaking God’s law. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” The good news is that this statement is followed with a “but”….”but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God’s grace and forgiveness comes much easier than that of the government! It’s a simple gift of faith and trust and the belief of Jesus as God’s only Son. The government would have you pay the fine and/or do the time. God simply says, “Come to Me with a repentant heart by faith and ask Me to forgive you and I will.”
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) Also available on Amazon and Barnes & Nobel.
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