At His Command
Today’s Verse:
Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress. ~Psalm 71:3
If you are a dog lover, you understand the importance of teaching your dog commands. Dogs must learn the voice of their master and to obey what they are told. Obedience school for a dog is a good way of ingraining this, but in the end, it is constant training with the dog that results in complete obedience. Our sinful nature tends to resist and buck commands. We tend to think of God’s commands as being cumbersome rules that do not give us liberty to do what we want. In reality, God’s commands are for our benefit. David said, “Thou hast given commands to save me.” Let us take a moment to consider the commands of God.
There is the character of God’s commandments.
“The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes,” Ps. 19:8b. All of God’s commandments are holy and pure. There is nothing evil or wicked about God’s commandments. His commandments help us to discern between good and evil; light and darkness. Without God’s commandments, our world would be filled with rampant chaos and wickedness running amok. Without God’s commandments, we would do whatever is right in our own eyes. His commandments direct us in developing a love for God. The greatest commandment teaches us that we are to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind. God’s commandments are the roadmap for a successful and thriving life. Let us never forget that the commands of God are pure.
There is the cunning in God’s commandments.
“Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me,” Ps. 119:98. God’s commandments give us the needed edge over Satan, the world, and the flesh. His commandments help us look ahead and plan our steps. His commandments help us avoid pitfalls and snares. His commandments help us to take the high road that leads to safety and success. He makes us wiser than our enemies through his commandments! When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, it was the commandments of God that gave him wisdom over the evil one. His commandments help us to wait instead of being impulsive. His commandments keep us from quitting and being short sighted.
There is the compliance of God’s commandments.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous,” I John 5:3. God’s commandments are to be obeyed. When they are obeyed, there are blessings. When they are disobeyed, there are cursing’s. We show our love for God by keeping his commandments. In addition, we must remember that none of God’s commandments are grievous to us. None of God’s commandments have been given to deprive or endanger us. Rather, they are for our benefit. God is wiser than us, and has given his commandments to shine in our pathway so that our path is clear, practical, and productive.
There is the covering from God’s commandments.
“Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.” God’s commandments are our refuge in our time of storm and calamity. It was God’s commands that gave David his shelter and refuge from the mocking and pursuit of his adversaries. Many were the times that David could testify of God’s safety through his commandments.
God’s commands are for our benefit. Let us be at his command and not allow ourselves to be negligent. Say like David, “Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments,” Ps. 112:1.
Have a commandment-filled God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Daniel 10-12