My recent blogging on the Ten Commandments has served to make me more conscious of obeying the Lord’s commands in my daily life, instead of just assuming that I always obeyed them as the Lord intended, LOL. I have grievously become aware, to my surprise, that I break them more times than not. For example, the first two are:
1. Have no other gods before Me.
2. Do not make images or worship idols.
Just last week when my sweet dh and I were paying our bills, nipping and tucking more this year than last, I had kind of a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, as worry tried to gain a foothold in me. So the Lord asked me, “Why the queasiness when your bank balance is low, but not when it is high? I haven’t gone anywhere. In what are you trusting, your bank balance or Me?” Yikes. I repent of making my bank balance a god before You, Lord.
The latest that the Lord has been making me aware of, which I was SURE I never did, was coveting. I am just learning now that when I harbor a complaint in my heart, or bring a complaint before the Lord, I have just coveted, by not being satisfied with my state, by wishing for something other than what I have, by longing for more than what the Lord has seen fit to gift me with.
So I was despondant the other morning, as I realized that the more I try to obey the Lord in all things — because I love Him and desire to please Him; I know that my own righteousness is futile in order to become acceptable in His sight — I just become more aware of falling short. No wonder Peter says:
“… set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13-16
We cannot set our hope in being obedient children, in being holy in all our conduct no matter how hard we try. We will never arrive without the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. I will take joy in His grace, therefore, instead of focusing my attention on my own shortcomings. I choose to fix my eyes on Jesus!
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