Commands<\/strong><\/p>\nThere 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 Some may seem a bit odd or outdated, while others have deep meaning for our lives today.<\/p>\n
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All commands in Scripture were very important to God. If they weren\u2019t, He wouldn\u2019t have given them. And the Bible writers wouldn\u2019t have spoken of their deep love for God\u2019s commands. So how do these commands throughout the Bible apply to our lives today?<\/p>\n
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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) \u201cThe thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.\u201d <\/em>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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
So where do we begin to follow God\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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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\u2019s heart, these commands become easy. Again, Jesus\u2019 words from Matthew 11:30 (NIV) reminds us that \u201cMy<\/em> (Jesus\u2019) yoke is easy and my <\/em>(Jesus\u2019) burden is light.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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Knowledge<\/strong><\/p>\nWe are reminded from this verse that we receive knowledge from God\u2019s commands. We know that it is better to be in line with God\u2019s will and it makes our lives better.<\/p>\n
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Recall the words from Psalm 84:10 (NIV) with me. \u201cBetter 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Knowing that God\u2019s commands are good for us helps us to understand that that\u2019s where we want to be. And who doesn\u2019t want to be more knowledgeable?<\/p>\n
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Good Judgment<\/strong><\/p>\nWe also see that we gain good judgment when we follow God\u2019s commands. It becomes our desire to do good things because we know God\u2019s commands are good for us. So what steps can we take to follow this path of good judgment?<\/p>\n
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We can understand that God is establishing our steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) says, \u201cIn their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.\u201d <\/em>You can trust that God will help you make good decisions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
We can come to a better understanding of God\u2019s Word. This goes back to the knowledge piece. We\u2019re reminded in 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV) to \u201cDo 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.\u201d<\/em> As we learn from Scripture, we are more in tune with God\u2019s plan for our lives and we will want to make the best decisions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
And then, James 1:5 (NIV) tells us that \u201cIf any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.\u201d<\/em> When we just don\u2019t know what good judgment to use, we can ask God. You and I can trust that He will point us in the right direction.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Trust<\/strong><\/p>\nBecause we know that God has in mind what\u2019s best for each of us, we can trust what He says to be true and worthy of our obedience.<\/p>\n
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Think of what God has brought you through. These are the reasons you can trust Him.<\/p>\n
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Now, think of the times when you didn\u2019t trust Him. These are yet more reasons you can trust Him.<\/p>\n
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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, \u201cBut as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.\u201d <\/em>(Joshua 24:15b \u2013 NIV)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
God has proven Himself trustworthy throughout history and I pray He has done the same for you. Now it\u2019s time for you to decide what you shall do.<\/p>\n
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Obedience<\/strong><\/p>\nBecause 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\u2019t help but mention Peter\u2019s words in 2 Peter 1:5 to \u201cmake every effort\u2026\u201d<\/em> when it comes to obedience. Not just here or there. Not just when we feel like it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
It\u2019s very easy to obey God when His commands fall within our liking, but when He asks us to get uncomfortable, that\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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Obedience isn\u2019t easy. We will sin and fall short of the glory of God. But remember, when our heart is in line with God\u2019s Word because of the knowledge and good judgement we have received through His Words, we are able to accept God\u2019s grace with a deeper desire to make every effort to live abundantly through Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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Grace and peace be yours in abundance,<\/p>\n
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Donna<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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. \u201cTeach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands.\u201d (Psalm 119:66 \u2013 NIV) As we continue our journey down this trust path, I want to see what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_s2mail":"yes","_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3762,22,4664,296,20,15,3770,3438,14,21],"tags":[3991,5784,106,1697,5779,5783,1803,1063,814,4071,5782,5780,5781,4041,885,5778,5335,136,5777,3093],"class_list":["post-5904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abide","category-believing-god","category-choose","category-experiencing-god","category-hearing-god","category-knowing-god","category-listen","category-reflect-god","category-seeking-god","category-trusting-god","tag-1-2-peter","tag-2-peter-15","tag-2-timothy-215","tag-colossians-3","tag-commands","tag-good-judgment","tag-james-15","tag-john-1010","tag-joshua","tag-joshua-23-24","tag-knowledge","tag-leviticus","tag-matthew-1130","tag-obedience","tag-proverbs-169","tag-psalm-11966","tag-psalm-8410","tag-trust","tag-trust-gods-commands","tag-wisdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5904"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5910,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5904\/revisions\/5910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/a>As 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\u2019s 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\u2019s see what we can learn.<\/p>\n