Trust God’s Commands

Creative Bible Journaling is over for the day…this is what I shared with our ladies about trust. Hope you find a piece of encouragement here.

“Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands.”

(Psalm 119:66 – NIV)

 

DSC00374As we continue our journey down this trust path, I want to see what we can learn from Psalm 119:66. This verse tells us that we can trust God’s commands. I want to unpack this idea to help us understand why we can trust the commands that God has put before us. So let’s see what we can learn.

 

There are five areas for us to look at today directly from this verse. The commands themselves, knowledge that comes from God’s Word, good judgment that is a result of following God’s commands, why we can place our trust in God’s commands and our role in obedience to God’s commands.

 

Commands

There are many commands in Scripture. For instance, the Book of Leviticus is filled with them. Some may seem a bit odd or outdated, while others have deep meaning for our lives today.

 

All commands in Scripture were very important to God. If they weren’t, He wouldn’t have given them. And the Bible writers wouldn’t have spoken of their deep love for God’s commands. So how do these commands throughout the Bible apply to our lives today?

 

I believe that God wants what is best for each of us. It is His desire for us to live our lives abundantly. Jesus spoke these words in John 10:10 (NIV) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” If God wants what is best for us and if Jesus came to give us abundant life, these commands or precepts that we find in Scripture are there for our own good.

 

So where do we begin to follow God’s commands? The New Testament is filled with many guidelines for us to follow. There is a long list in Colossians 3 and 1 & 2 Peter is filled with a plethora of commands. This is just a sampling of commands in Scripture and they are a good place to start.

 

Now before we get too caught up in the fact that no one can follow all of these commands, remember that when our heart is right with God, He extends grace. When our hearts look like God’s heart, these commands become easy. Again, Jesus’ words from Matthew 11:30 (NIV) reminds us that “My (Jesus’) yoke is easy and my (Jesus’) burden is light.”

 

 

Knowledge

We are reminded from this verse that we receive knowledge from God’s commands. We know that it is better to be in line with God’s will and it makes our lives better.

 

Recall the words from Psalm 84:10 (NIV) with me. “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

 

Knowing that God’s commands are good for us helps us to understand that that’s where we want to be. And who doesn’t want to be more knowledgeable?

 

Good Judgment

We also see that we gain good judgment when we follow God’s commands. It becomes our desire to do good things because we know God’s commands are good for us. So what steps can we take to follow this path of good judgment?

 

We can understand that God is establishing our steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” You can trust that God will help you make good decisions.

 

We can come to a better understanding of God’s Word. This goes back to the knowledge piece. We’re reminded in 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV) to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” As we learn from Scripture, we are more in tune with God’s plan for our lives and we will want to make the best decisions.

 

And then, James 1:5 (NIV) tells us that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” When we just don’t know what good judgment to use, we can ask God. You and I can trust that He will point us in the right direction.

 

Trust

Because we know that God has in mind what’s best for each of us, we can trust what He says to be true and worthy of our obedience.

 

Think of what God has brought you through. These are the reasons you can trust Him.

 

Now, think of the times when you didn’t trust Him. These are yet more reasons you can trust Him.

 

Joshua is a great example of how to trust God because of what He had done. In Joshua 23 and 24, Joshua recounts all that God had done for the Hebrew. He expressed to them that God had not failed in a single promise. God had proven Himself to be trustworthy. And because of all that God had done, Joshua stood unwaveringly to say, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15b – NIV)

 

God has proven Himself trustworthy throughout history and I pray He has done the same for you. Now it’s time for you to decide what you shall do.

 

Obedience

Because we trust God (because we know what He has done in the past and can believe that He will do it again), we can obey His commands. If we are not willing to obey, then our attempts to trust God will be worthless. And I can’t help but mention Peter’s words in 2 Peter 1:5 to “make every effort…” when it comes to obedience. Not just here or there. Not just when we feel like it.

 

It’s very easy to obey God when His commands fall within our liking, but when He asks us to get uncomfortable, that’s when it becomes most difficult. When we trust in His commands to bring about knowledge and good judgment, we are then able to accept His guidelines and follow through with what He asks.

 

Obedience isn’t easy. We will sin and fall short of the glory of God. But remember, when our heart is in line with God’s Word because of the knowledge and good judgement we have received through His Words, we are able to accept God’s grace with a deeper desire to make every effort to live abundantly through Jesus Christ.

 

As you spend time with God this afternoon, I pray that He will show you the area where you are lacking trust. Be open to His leading and guiding. Allow His Spirit to direct your creation. Accept His prompting to go deeper in your trust with Him. Hold tightly to His promises and trust in His commands.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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