Sunday 20 Jan 2019

January 20: Psalm 32:8-10

Key Verse: Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Devotion:
If we are willing to listen to God’s Word we will see He is willing to teach us in so many ways and in so many things. He teaches us through history where we can see what has happened to those who have followed Him and those who have not. He teaches us through what has happened to Israel, His chosen people. Though He continues to keep them as His children, they have had to face hardship when they have rejected Him. We have also seen His amazing grace and mercy when they have turned back to Him. We have seen how He loved every person, both Jew and otherwise when He came to earth. There can be no doubt His love covers all sin through what He has done and shown us.

His word teaches us what is right and wrong and gives us plenty of rules by which we will be able to lead a better life. It gives us instruction about what is going to happen in the future when we will have to face up to what we have done ourselves. He wants every one of us to be able to listen and learn so we do not have to be led by the nose just as a farm animal is. What good would His love be if we were not given all we need to love Him back?

That choice we have gives us the ability to follow what we can learn or to ignore it and continue being led around like a farm animal. When a farmer has a dog which understands what has to be done, and is able to help him with herding sheep, he does not hold it on a lead, but lets it run around to help him. The dog is willing to help and obeys his master. If we are willing to learn and to obey, then we to can be used of God in ways we thought were not possible. When we follow His commandments, we will show others we are the ones getting it right and we are the ones enjoying His grace and mercy. We have the choice to learn and be loved... The other side of that is we reject Christ and try to get things right by ourselves. I am yet to see a sheepdog which can herd sheep without being trained by a master or a peer...

Points to Ponder:
Do you learn from those around you?

Are you listening to what God has to say?