I Get To

“I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.” – Psalm 119:93

How do you approach God’s commands?

What is your attitude towards them?

Cindy went to the doctor for her regular physical. The nurse got her weight and vitals. Her doctor asked about her life, things like diet, exercise, stressors, etc. Then, they did some blood tests. A few days later she went back in for the results.

Cindy’s doctor showed her the results and told her she needed to change some things with her life. She had gained weight, her blood glucose indicated she was prediabetic, and her blood pressure was elevated. Her doctor told her to eat more lean proteins and vegetables and fewer carbs. She said to regularly exercise at least 30 minutes per day and to get at least 7 hours of sleep.

What would your reaction be to the doctor?

Would you feel like the doctor was controlling and mean?
Would you think, “What does my doctor know? I know what’s best for me.”
Would you be grateful that your doctor was helping to make you healthier and possibly saving your life?

God’s Precepts
God has given us precepts, or commands, for life. Like Cindy’s doctor’s recommendations, God’s commands are intended for our good and the good of those around us.

Hopefully, Cindy would have felt grateful for her doctor’s insights and recommendations and put them into practice for her own good. Hopefully, we, like the Psalmist, would feel grateful for God’s precepts and put them into practice.

I Get To
When we have this attitude towards God’s commands, our perspective is, “I get to.” God is telling us the best things for life and we get to follow them. We don’t feel oppressed by His precepts nor do we feel overwhelmed because we think we have to figure every out from scratch. Instead, we have His wisdom to guide us.

Then, couple this with the Gospel message that our salvation is purely a gift, apart from our following God’s commands. We don’t earn anything, it’s given to us by faith. Then we truly understand God’s precepts as, “I get to,” rather than, “I have to.”

Heavenly Father,

I know it is out of Your love and wisdom that You have given us Your precepts. Help me to always have a grateful attitude towards You for Your precepts. Help me to follow Your commands for my own good and out of an understanding that they are for my good and the good of those around me.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

I Get To

Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL serving Lutz, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, and New Tampa, FL