I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
—Exodus 20:2-3 (KJV)
The order of faithful obedience is always the same in Scripture: God reveals himself to us, blesses us with his grace, and then asks us to respond with obedience. In other words, God blesses us first and then asks us to obey — grace precedes the call to obedience! God is all-powerful and supreme. He could demand our obedience just because of who he is, but he doesn't. He has chosen to reveal himself through Scripture, nature, his acts of salvation, and most completely in Jesus. He wants us to know him and respond to him. Our obedience may be difficult. Our call to obey may sometimes be hard for us to understand. However, we know it comes from a Father who has paid an enormous price to redeem and adopt us into his family and has repeatedly proven himself to be gracious and faithful.
Holy and Almighty God, you are worthy of all glory and honor. I realize that your demands that I should be holy, obey your Word, and seek your will are all based on your desire to love me and bless me. I want to serve you with an undivided heart. I want my obedience to be offered as joyously and graciously to you as your blessings have been shared with me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
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—Exodus 20:2-3 (KJV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
The order of faithful obedience is always the same in Scripture: God reveals himself to us, blesses us with his grace, and then asks us to respond with obedience. In other words, God blesses us first and then asks us to obey — grace precedes the call to obedience! God is all-powerful and supreme. He could demand our obedience just because of who he is, but he doesn't. He has chosen to reveal himself through Scripture, nature, his acts of salvation, and most completely in Jesus. He wants us to know him and respond to him. Our obedience may be difficult. Our call to obey may sometimes be hard for us to understand. However, we know it comes from a Father who has paid an enormous price to redeem and adopt us into his family and has repeatedly proven himself to be gracious and faithful.
My Prayer...
Holy and Almighty God, you are worthy of all glory and honor. I realize that your demands that I should be holy, obey your Word, and seek your will are all based on your desire to love me and bless me. I want to serve you with an undivided heart. I want my obedience to be offered as joyously and graciously to you as your blessings have been shared with me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Continue reading...
