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Just a cry away


All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity. He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. (Psalm 111:7-10)

All he does is just and good - he is to be trusted. All his commandments are 'trustworthy' - his justice and goodness makes a solid basis for all truth contained within them. Our part - obedience. Somehow, I think we got the hard part! Faithful obedience - actions taken with utmost integrity - we just don't hit the mark on that one all of the time. Sometimes we just want to take an action because it makes us feel good, while at other times we want to take it because something made us feel bad!

We may not always feel like the most 'obedient' creatures on this planet, but if Christ is at work in your heart, you are on the right path! Obedience is not just a one-time deal. It is you and I continually making the right choices - even when we don't feel like it. Because of God's goodness, he has provided all we need for right-living in Christ Jesus. We may not always choose to live right, but with Jesus at the helm, corrective action is about to occur!

If we struggle with bad choices, even after asking Jesus into our lives, we aren't struggling alone. Each of us has our own struggles, but none of us is without the means by which to move beyond them. That means is Christ - his Spirit resident within us, urging us onward, giving us the desire to get up and move on. Obedience is oftentimes viewed as us trying something on our own, failing pretty badly, then turning to Jesus for his help. Wouldn't it be nice if we turned this around, missing that 'failing pretty badly' part all together?

Oftentimes obedience is just a cry away. We forget just how much God has invested in our success! He doesn't want us to fail in the area of obedience - he wants us to grow in the knowledge of his grace, but he also wants us to grow in the knowledge of his power within. We might just have to learn to trust that small voice within that urges us toward obedience. Remember, obedience is not as a result of a master's whip across our back, but rather a 'lover's' call to come closer. Just sayin!
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